Seven years and one stomach-stapling operation after entering Parliament in 1977, David Lange became PM at the age of 41.
David Lange
Personal details
Full Name:
David Russell Lange
Lifetime:
4 Aug 1942 – 13 Aug 2005
Prime Minister:
26 Jul 1984–8 Aug 1989
Age on becoming Prime Minister:
41
Electorate:
Mangere
Political Party:
Labour
Biography
Events In History
13 August 2005
David Lange was New Zealand's youngest prime minister of the 20th century. Renowned for his sharp wit and oratory, he led the fourth Labour government from 1984 until 1989.
1 April 1987
The State-owned Enterprises Act heralded a major overhaul of the public sector and was a key part of the strategy of economic liberalisation known as 'Rogernomics'.
Articles
Nuclear-free New Zealand
The sinking of the Greenpeace protest ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in July 1985 shocked the nation. The incident galvanised an anti-nuclear movement that had emerged in opposition to both French nuclear tests at Mururoa and American warship visits to New Zealand. Read the full article
Page 4 - Nuclear-free legislation
Labour leader David Lange tried to work with the Americans, but their 'neither confirm nor deny' policy made a middle ground virtually impossible to
Housing the Prime Minister
Almost 150 years after the government purchased the first official premier's residence on Tinakori Road, Wellington, the address of Premier House remains the same. But in the intervening years the building has been extended, renamed, abandoned and refurbished. Read the full article
Page 4 - Vogel House and Premier House
Since 1975 the official prime minister's residence has been at Vogel House and, since 1990, Premier
The snap election of 1984 brought in a new Labour government. The clip shows Members of Parliament assembling and the election of Speaker Sir Basil Arthur.
