Sir Robert McDowall Gray (2 July 1931 – 2 April 2022), generally known as Robin Gray, was a New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1978 to 1996, and served as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1990 and 1993.

Early life and family

Gray was born in Borgue,

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ), or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative count ...

, Scotland on 2 July 1931. He received his education at Borgue Primary School and at George Watson's Boys College. After serving with the

4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922. It served in the Second World War. However following the reduction of forces at the end of the Cold War and proposals contained in the Options for Change ...

from 1949 to 1951 in Africa, he migrated to New Zealand in 1952 to take up farming, initially working on a farm at Tapanui, before moving to his own property at

Waitahuna Waitahuna is a small rural hamlet in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. It is from Lawrence. In the 19th century, the town thrived after the discovery of gold. The Waitahuna Gully Miner's Monument commemorates this discovery and ...

, Central Otago. Gray became a naturalised New Zealand citizen in 1973. Gray married Mary Muir Thomson in 1957. She was the daughter of Alexander Thomson. The couple went on to have three children. Gray was widowed by the death of his wife, Mary, in 1981.

Member of Parliament

He joined the National Party in 1956, and held a number of positions in its internal hierarchy. In the 1978 election, he was elected to replace Peter Gordon as MP for Clutha, a safe National seat that practically guaranteed election. He was elected in 1978 and held the electorate until the 1996 election, when it was abolished and he retired. Gray became the National Party's Junior

Whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

in 1985 and the Senior Whip in 1987.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

When National won

office An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific ...

in the 1990 election, Gray was made Speaker of the House of Representatives. After the 1993 election, however, the National Party held a majority of only a single seat – as the Speaker could not vote, re-appointing Gray to the Speakership would leave Parliament deadlocked. National therefore offered the Speakership to Peter Tapsell of the Labour Party. Gray was appointed to the

sinecure A sinecure ( or ; from the Latin , 'without', and , 'care') is an office, carrying a salary or otherwise generating income, that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service. The term originated in the medieval ch ...

of Minister of State, and also became Associate

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...

. In the 1994 New Year Honours, Gray was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are ...

. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gray was entitled to the title of

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certa ...

, and he was granted use of the honorific for the rest of his life in 1994.

Life after Parliament

After stepping down as an MP, Gray retired to

Mosgiel Mosgiel (Māori: ''Te Konika o te Matamata'') is an urban satellite of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand, fifteen kilometres west of the city's centre. Since the re-organisation of New Zealand local government in 1989 it has been inside the Dunedin ...

, but continued to make occasional appearances and commentary at various conferences around New Zealand. He was mildly critical of the National Party for failing to promote members' interests at conferences, to which he achieved a degree of success in ensuring delegates had more opportunity for engagement at the formal meetings. Gray was the founding president on the board of trustees for the New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust. He died at his home in Mosgiel on 2 April 2022.

Freemason

Gray was active as a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

from the 1950s. He was initiated at Kirkcudbright the day before he left for New Zealand. He joined the lodge at Tapanui after arriving in New Zealand, before transferring to Lawrence in 195, where he rose to become master in 1971. After retiring from farming, he transferred to Lodge St John 84 in Mosgiel in 1995, and was appointed grand lecturer the following year.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Robin 1931 births 2022 deaths People from Dumfries and Galloway People educated at George Watson's College Scottish emigrants to New Zealand Naturalised citizens of New Zealand Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand New Zealand farmers New Zealand National Party MPs Speakers of the New Zealand House of Representatives Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives People from Mosgiel New Zealand Knights Bachelor New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates New Zealand politicians awarded knighthoods 20th-century British Army personnel New Zealand Freemasons