Bruce Craig Gregory (22 April 1937 – 29 October 2015) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Early life and career

Gregory was born in Kaingaroa in Northland to parents Vivian Lauder Gregory (

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim), Mount Mahanga and Kahurangi Point ...

) and Tai Te Maru (

Te Rarawa Te Rarawa is a Māori iwi of Northland, New Zealand. The iwi is one of five Muriwhenua iwi of the far north of the North Island. Rūnanga and marae Te Rarawa has 23 foundation marae: *Korou Kore Marae, ''Ahipara'', represents the hapū of Ng� ...

). He was educated at Pukepoto Native School, Kaitaia College and the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

. He graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and practised medicine in

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

and

Kaitaia Kaitaia ( mi, Kaitāia) is a town in the Far North District of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula, about 160 km northwest of Whangārei. It is the last major settlement on State Highway 1. Ahipara Bay, the southern end of ...

. Notably, he was the first Māori general practitioner to work in Kaitaia. He maintained an interest throughout his life in Māori art and musical instruments.

Political career

Gregory was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the

Northern Maori Northern Maori was one of New Zealand, New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Eastern Maori, Western Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996 New Zealand general election, 1996, with the MMP in New Ze ...

electorate in a , caused by the resignation of the previous incumbent,

Matiu Rata Matiu Waitai Rata (26 March 1934 – 25 July 1997) was a Māori politician who was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Labour Party from 1963 to 1980, and a cabinet minister from 1972 to 1975. In 1979 he resigned from the Labour Pa ...

. Rata contested the by-election for the Mana Motuhake party but, ultimately, Gregory was successful. He was successful in each subsequent general election until

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

, when

Tau Henare Raymond Tau Henare (born 29 September 1960) is a former New Zealand Māori parliamentarian. In representing three different political parties in parliament—New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the National Party—Henare served as a Member o ...

won Northern Maori for New Zealand First. In 1983 he was appointed as Labour's spokesperson for Arts & Culture in the Lange shadow Cabinet. He was not appointed a minister in the

Fourth Labour Government The Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand governed New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990. It was the first Labour government to win a second consecutive term since the First Labour Government of 1935 to 1949. The policy agenda o ...

. In 1990 he became Labour's spokesperson for Lands in the Moore shadow Cabinet. Upon his defeat at the 1993 general election, Gregory returned to Kaitaia and continued his work in Māori health.

Death

Gregory died on 29 October 2015.

Notes

References

* 1937 births New Zealand Labour Party MPs New Zealand MPs for Māori electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives 2015 deaths Unsuccessful candidates in the 1993 New Zealand general election {{NZLabour-politician-stub