George Hawkins (politician)

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For other people with the same name, see George Hawkins.

The Honourable
George Hawkins
QSO
29th Minister of Internal Affairs
In office
13 November 2000 – 19 October 2005
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byMark Burton
Succeeded byRick Barker
33rd Minister of Police
In office
10 December 1999 – 19 October 2005
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byClem Simich
Succeeded byAnnette King
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Manurewa
In office
27 October 1990 – 26 November 2011
Preceded byRoger Douglas
Succeeded byLouisa Wall
Personal details
Born
George Warren Hawkins

1946 (age 77–78)
Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
ProfessionSchoolteacher

George Warren Hawkins QSO (born 1946) is a New Zealand local government politician and former Labour Party Member of Parliament.

Hawkins held public office for 36 years. He was Mayor of Papakura from 1983 to 1992, the Member of Parliament for Manurewa from 1990 to 2011, and a member on the Manurewa and Papakura local boards from 2010 to 2019. Between 1999 and 2005, he served as Minister of Police, Minister of Civil Defence, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister of Ethnic Affairs in the Fifth Labour Government.

Early life and family[edit]

Hawkins was born on 15 May 1946 in the Auckland suburb of Mt Eden.[1] He has two brothers.[2]

He attended Dominion Road Primary School,[3] Mount Albert Grammar School (1960–1963) and then Auckland Teachers' College.[4] Before entering politics, he was an art teacher at Rosehill College and had also been a photographer for the Auckland Star newspaper.[5][6] He later became a company director.[7]

Hawkins met his wife, Jan, at teacher's college. They have two sons. The eldest, also named George Hawkins, is an elected member on the Papakura Local Board. Their youngest son died in an accident in 1989.[8]

Early political career[edit]

In the 1970s Hawkins became an anti-nuclear activist and he joined the Labour Party.[7] He became chair of Labour's Papakura branch. In early 1977 he stood as a candidate for the Labour Party nomination in the Mangere by-election, but he lost out to future prime minister David Lange.[9] Later that year Hawkins stood for the nomination for the nearby seat of Papatoetoe, but was again unsuccessful.[10]

Alongside Geoff Braybrooke, Hawkins unsuccessfully contested a seat on the Papakura City Council in 1974.[2] He tried again in 1977 and in a by-election thereafter, but was not successful until the 1980 election.

Mayor of Papakura[edit]

After a three-year term as a councillor, Hawkins was elected Mayor of Papakura in 1983.[11] He was elected unopposed to his third term as mayor, of the enlarged Papakura district, in 1989,[12] and was succeeded by his brother, David, in 1992.[13]

As mayor, Hawkins advocated for a toll free telephone exchange between South Auckland and Auckland City.[7] While he was a supporter of the fluoridation of water, he voted to remove fluoride from the Papakura water supply in 1987 in line with the outcome of a community referendum.[14] In 1990, Hawkins instigated the building of a theatre in Papakura, later named the Hawkins Theatre.[15][16]

Member of Parliament[edit]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1990–1993 43rd Manurewa Labour
1993–1996 44th Manurewa Labour
1996–1999 45th Manurewa none Labour
1999–2002 46th Manurewa none Labour
2002–2005 47th Manurewa 15 Labour
2005–2008 48th Manurewa none Labour
2008–2011 49th Manurewa none Labour

Opposition, 1990–1999[edit]

In 1990 Hawkins was selected to succeed Roger Douglas as the Labour candidate for the seat of Manurewa, beating Alan Johnson, a town planner and opponent of Douglas.[7] He served as MP for Manurewa from when he was first elected to Parliament in the 1990 general election until his retirement in 2011.

Hawkins was perceived to be among the right wing of the Labour Party.[17] In his maiden statement, he praised Douglas and Michael Bassett, and the economic and local government reforms they oversaw during the previous administration. He also proposed the relocation of New Zealand's parliament from Wellington to Auckland.[18] Labour leader Mike Moore appointed Hawkins as the party's spokesperson for local government and urban affairs;[19] he was also assigned to the internal affairs and local government committee and the planning and development committee. Between 1993 and 1999, he was police spokesperson and sat on the justice and law reform committee.[4][20]

Through the 1990s, he was aligned with Mike Moore and Phil Goff and was part of their attempted coup to relieve Helen Clark of the Labour leadership in 1996.[21] With them, he formulated the Labour Party's tougher law and order policies that were taken into the 1999 election, which included zero-tolerance policies proposing that district commanders be sacked if they fail to meet crime-reduction targets.[22] As police spokesperson, Hawkins was critical of the development and cost overruns of the Integrated National Crime Information System (INCIS), which was eventually abandoned in 1999.[23][24][25]

In July 1992 Hawkins was hospitalized suffering from an infection and exhaustion. While in hospital he suffered a pulmonary embolism, leading him to an extended convalescence.[26] He later decided to retire from the Papakura mayoralty to ease his workload. During the period he suffered a stroke, which would leave him with a speech impediment. At the time Hawkins (and others) thought bad health would end his career. He continued on, however, stating "But it [his condition] made me think that some things are really worth fighting for."[6]

Minister in the Fifth Labour Government[edit]

Hawkins was appointed Minister of Police, Minister of Civil Defence, and Minister of Ethnic Affairs in December 1999. He was additionally appointed Minister of Internal Affairs in November 2000 and, in lieu of the ethnic affairs portfolio, Minister of Veterans' Affairs after the 2002 general election. Hawkins' tenure as minister ran through until after the 2005 general election, when he opted not to continue.[6][27]

As police minister, Hawkins oversaw a crackdown on burglary. In 2000, he ordered police to respond to burglaries within 24 hours and introduced new legislation enabling police to conduct DNA testing of burglary suspects and collect fingerprints of children aged 10 and over without parental consent.[28][29] The fingerprint proposal was criticised by Hawkins' colleague, junior minister Tariana Turia.[30] Early reports indicated that the burglary policies were having some success despite not meeting the targets set,[31][32] but violent crime continued to rise.[33][34] Hawkins suggested that the rise in crime was an effect of the previous government's stricter social welfare policies.[33] In 2001 Hawkins appointed the first woman and first civilian deputy police commissioner, Lyn Provost.[35] In 2002, amid a shortage of police in Auckland, he announced plans to hire civilians to respond to burglaries.[36]

Hawkins was also criticised for being too involved in police operations, which are supposed to be independent of politicians, including for suggesting police trainees pay their own way, banning police officers from carrying cell phones, giving directions on the investigation into the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, and determining what colours to paint police cars.[37][38][39] A new police amendment bill proposed the police minister to have greater powers of direction over the police commissioner. Police association president Greg O'Connor described the bill as "compromising the ability of police to act independently."[38] The bill was eventually abandoned.[40]

Hawkins received responsibility for citizenship as associate internal affairs minister in July 2000 and was assigned the full portfolio that November.[41][42] The reshuffle gave him responsibility for the New Zealand Fire Service, in addition to the police and civil defence. He initiated a review of the fire service in 2004, which had been described as "financially ailing" with a $100m funding shortfall in 2001.[43][44] Hawkins was also responsible for gambling and building regulations. He was seen as "pro-gaming" but progressed government policy to prevent the building of any new casinos in New Zealand and established a new Gambling Commission.[45][46][47] Despite initially obfuscating on the issue, he commissioned an inquiry into the leaky homes crisis in September 2002 and established a mediation service for victims of the crisis in October 2002.[48][49][50][51][52] When it was revealed he had known about the crisis for several months before taking any action, there were calls for his resignation; eventually responsibility for the issue was reassigned to the commerce minister, Lianne Dalziel.[53][54][55]

Hawkins also came under further pressure in the police portfolio in 2004 and 2005 when issues with the police 111 telephone system were reported, when senior officers were accused of sexual misconduct, and when large amounts of pornography were discovered on police hard drives.[56][57][58][59][60] Ahead of the 2005 general election, Hawkins—despite being the 11th-ranked cabinet minister—was placed 25th on the Labour Party list in what was described as a "clear message" about his future with the party after the election.[61] In response, Hawkins withdrew his name from the party list, won his Manurewa electorate by a 12,000-vote margin, and proactively ended his ministerial career by issuing a post-election statement that he would not accept reappointment as a minister.[27][62]

Later parliamentary career[edit]

After withdrawing from the ministry in 2005, Hawkins became a backbencher, sitting on the finance and expenditure committee, the government administration committee, and the social services committee.[4] Audrey Young of The New Zealand Herald reported that Hawkins was regarded by colleagues as a quiet maverick, asking written questions of ministers in the same manner that Opposition MPs would do.[6]

In June 2008, Hawkins introduced the Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill. The bill aimed to address over-consumption of alcohol by enabling communities to challenge liquor licensing applications.[63] Hawkins was successful in having the bill introduced into Parliament without a ballot,[64] and it was referred to the social services committee on 2 July 2008. The bill returned to the House for its second reading in 2010, where it was defeated when the government preferred to consider that proposal in its own alcohol reform bill.[65][66] Speaking on the bill, Hawkins said he had changed his position on alcohol over his career and, having voted for the alcohol purchase age to be 18 in 1999, would instead vote for the age to be 20.[66]

Hawkins twice, in 2005 and 2010, introduced legislation on behalf of Manukau City Council (later Auckland Council) to more strongly regulate street prostitution within its district.[67][68][69] Both bills were defeated, with the select committee that considered the second bill determining that it was not required because councils could already create by-laws related to prostitution.[70][71]

Calls for Hawkins to retire continued after he left the ministry. These intensified in 2007 when Hawkins took two months off to have an operation for bowel cancer. He believed many in the Labour Party coveted his safe electorate seat and stated of many of the visitors he received in hospital: "They didn't want to hold your hand, they wanted to take your pulse."[6] With Daniel Newman, who worked in his local office, Hawkins lobbied to make boundary changes ahead of the 2008 general election that were intended to improve his already strong majority in Manurewa. The changes also made the nearby seats of Botany and Papakura safer for the National Party.[72][73] At the election, Hawkins' majority was cut by more than half.[74]

Following the defeat of the Labour government in 2008, Hawkins was appointed housing spokesperson by Clark's successor as leader, Phil Goff.[75] In a 2009 reshuffle, he was reassigned to the local government portfolio.[76] In the 2008–2011 term, Hawkins sat as a member of the primary production committee, the local government and environment committee, and the Auckland governance legislation committee.[4]

In 2010, Hawkins announced his run for a seat on the new Manurewa Local Board and said if he was successful he would resign from Parliament.[77][78] After winning the seat, he refused to say whether he would force a by-election or simply retire at the 2011 general election. Hawkins threatened to call a by-election if an EPMU-backed candidate was selected over his preferred successor. Initially, Hawkins favoured Labour list MP Shane Jones but later gave his allegiance to his former advisor Ian Dunwoodie.[79][80] In the end, Louisa Wall won the nomination with Hawkins' blessing and he retired from Parliament at the election, giving his valedictory statement on 29 September 2011.[2][81]

Local board member[edit]

In 2010 Hawkins returned to local government when he was elected a member of the Manurewa Local Board on the Manurewa Action Team ticket.[82] He won a second term at the 2013 local elections before changing to Papakura Action Team ticket to successfully contest the Papakura Local Board in 2016.[83][84] He retired in 2019 and was succeeded on the board by his son, George Hawkins.[85]

Honours and awards[edit]

Hawkins (right), after his investiture as a Companion of the Queen's Service Order by the governor-general, Sir Jerry Mateparae, at Government House, Auckland, on 8 May 2013

On 15 December 2005, Hawkins was granted retention of the title The Honourable, in recognition of his term as a member of the Executive Council.[86]

In the 2013 New Year Honours, Hawkins was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services as a member of Parliament.[87]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Temple, Philip (1994). Temple's Guide to the 44th New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: McIndoe Publishers. p. 68. ISBN 0-86868-159-8.
  2. ^ a b c "Hawkins, George: Valedictory Statements". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Who am I?". TVNZ. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d "Hawkins, George". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Tattle: Thanks for the memory". NZ Herald. 1999. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Young, Audrey (21 June 2008). "Quiet battler confronts electorate's booze woes: Manurewa MP has defied naysayers for years and he's not about to stop now". The New Zealand Herald. p. 13. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Boy copies film lynching". The Press. 19 October 1989. p. 20. Retrieved 15 April 2024 – via National Library of New Zealand.
  8. ^ "16 now chase Labour nod for Mangere". Auckland Star. 15 February 1977. p. 48.
  9. ^ "Walkout risk may upset seat choice". Auckland Star. 6 August 1977. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Hon George Hawkins". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Auckland ousts Tim from team". The Press. 16 October 1989. p. 3.
  12. ^ Reid, Michael (12 October 1992). "Hawkins family keeps mayoral robes". The New Zealand Herald. p. 3.
  13. ^ "Papakura against fluoride". The Press. 31 January 1987. p. 34.
  14. ^ Neale, Imogen (13 July 2010). "U-turn on name change". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  15. ^ Moffiet, Nigel (26 July 2015). "Open day celebrates theatre's special anniversary". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Old divisions reopened in Cabinet reshuffle". NZ Herald. 26 February 2004. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Address in Reply". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 511. New Zealand Parliament: House of Representatives. 13 December 1990. p. 395.
  18. ^ "All Labour's 29 MPs get areas of responsibility". Otago Daily Times. 28 November 1990. p. 4.
  19. ^ "The Labour Shadow Cabinet". The Dominion. 14 December 1993. p. 2.
  20. ^ Edwards, Brent (31 May 1996). "Bid to oust Clark fails". The Evening Post. p. 2.
  21. ^ "Political auction on law and order". NZ Herald. 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  22. ^ "Govt warned of Incis cost blowout". NZ Herald. 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Treasury points computer finger at top policeman". NZ Herald. 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Primary parts of Incis put on standby". NZ Herald. 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  25. ^ Johns, Geraldine (21 July 1992). "Long road back for Hawkins". The New Zealand Herald. p. 1.
  26. ^ a b "Three cabinet ministers decide not to return". NZ Herald. 4 October 2005. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  27. ^ "Police to crack down on burglars". NZ Herald. 30 June 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  28. ^ "DNA testing not far off: Hawkins". NZ Herald. 30 June 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Minister attacks fingerprints plan". NZ Herald. 30 June 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  30. ^ "Police have burglars on the run". NZ Herald. 26 July 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Minister calls on police to respond more quickly". NZ Herald. 14 February 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Violent crime soars in decade". NZ Herald. 23 February 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  33. ^ "Violent crime jumps to all-time high". NZ Herald. 4 September 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  34. ^ "Deputy police commissioner breaks mould". NZ Herald. 29 March 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  35. ^ "Civilians on police frontline". NZ Herald. 27 March 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  36. ^ "Hawkins: why pay police trainees?". NZ Herald. 22 November 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  37. ^ a b "The fight for police power". NZ Herald. 2 November 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  38. ^ "Ben, Olivia search to go on: Hawkins". NZ Herald. 22 June 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  39. ^ "Police Act to be reviewed". The Beehive. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  40. ^ "Cabinet in for first shakeup". NZ Herald. 25 July 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  41. ^ "Clark rejig spreads ministers' load". NZ Herald. 13 November 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  42. ^ "Fire and Rescue legislation to be reviewed". Scoop News. 25 March 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  43. ^ "Levy changes aimed at crafty businesses". NZ Herald. 11 May 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  44. ^ "You wanna cyber-bet?". NZ Herald. 14 July 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  45. ^ "Government will not licence any more casinos". NZ Herald. 28 July 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  46. ^ "United plays trump card with gambling bill". NZ Herald. 11 September 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  47. ^ "Government vows to act on leaks report". NZ Herald. 14 September 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  48. ^ Gibson, Anne; Orsman, Bernard (17 September 2002). "Government squashes calls for full leaks inquiry". NZ Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  49. ^ "Hawkins softens stance against leaky building inquiry". NZ Herald. 18 September 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  50. ^ "Hawkins now backs leaky building inquiry". NZ Herald. 19 September 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  51. ^ "Government to establish leaky building mediation service". NZ Herald. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  52. ^ "Editorial: Hawkins really should go". NZ Herald. 26 November 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  53. ^ "Hawkins told of rot by late 2001". NZ Herald. 22 November 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  54. ^ "Hawkins was told of leaks says National". NZ Herald. 8 April 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  55. ^ "Police launch inquiry into 111 system". NZ Herald. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  56. ^ "Minister directs 111 gripes right to the top". NZ Herald. 11 February 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  57. ^ "EDITORIAL: Time to find new police minister". Hawke's Bay Today. 16 February 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  58. ^ Milne, Jonathan (23 April 2005). "Time for the absent Hawkins to go". NZ Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  59. ^ "Police rocked by porn scandal". NZ Herald. 21 April 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  60. ^ "Labour list gives Hawkins clear message on future". NZ Herald. 21 March 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  61. ^ Taylor, Kevin (4 October 2005). "Hawkins proud of police achievements". NZ Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  62. ^ "Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill 2008: Bills Digest No 1629". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  63. ^ "Hawkins slips liquor outlet bill into Parliament". Otago Daily Times Online News. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  64. ^ Hartevelt, John (15 August 2010). "Neighbourhood liquor store ban bill returns". Stuff. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  65. ^ a b "Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill — Second Reading". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  66. ^ Herald, NZ (7 June 2013). "Vexed issue of sex in the city". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  67. ^ "Manukau City Council (Control of Street Prostitution) Bill". New Zealand Parliament. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  68. ^ "Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill". New Zealand Parliament. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  69. ^ "Manukau council's bill to ban prostitution defeated". NZ Herald. 11 October 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  70. ^ "Prostitution By-Law Bill Discharged". Scoop News. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  71. ^ "Beyond Mana, more by-elections may be on horizon". Otago Daily Times Online News. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  72. ^ Chapple, Irene (2 September 2007). "MP may be casualty in boundary battle". Sunday Star-Times. p. A4.
  73. ^ 2008 election results
  74. ^ "Labour's shadow Cabinet announced". 20 November 2008.
  75. ^ "Goff changes shadow Cabinet and portfolios". NZ Herald. 5 May 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  76. ^ Herald, NZ (13 September 2010). "Super City: Plenty of options for Manurewa board". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  77. ^ Young, Audrey (5 August 2010). "Hawkins may swap seat for Super City board". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  78. ^ Trevett, Claire; Trevett, Claire (10 October 2010). "Byelection waiting on Hawkins' move". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  79. ^ "Former Hawkins adviser seeking his seat". NBR. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  80. ^ Mangnall, Karen (15 December 2010). "Wall in the safe seat". Stuff. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  81. ^ Trevett, Claire; Trevett, Claire (10 October 2010). "Byelection waiting on Hawkins' move". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  82. ^ "Elections" (PDF). Auckland Council.
  83. ^ Williamson, Jarred (15 August 2016). "Election 2016: Who's running in south Auckland?". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  84. ^ "Keven Mealamu's new job in local politics". NZ Herald. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  85. ^ "Retention of the title "The Honourable"". New Zealand Gazette. 15 December 2005. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  86. ^ "New Year honours list 2013". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2018.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Internal Affairs
2000–2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Police
1999–2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Jack Farrell
 Mayor of Papakura
1983–1992 		Succeeded by
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Manurewa
1990–2011 		Succeeded by
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