Ritchie Macdonald (8 September 1895 – 14 March 1987) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life and career

He was born in Scotland. In 1930 he married Gertrude Wilson. After farming in the

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

, he worked at the Otahuhu Railway Workshops and became a secretary for the local branch of the New Zealand Railways Union.

Political career

At the 1938, 1941 and 1944 local-body elections he was a Labour candidate for seats on the

One Tree Hill One Tree Hill may refer to: * "One Tree Hill" (song), a 1987 song by U2 referencing One Tree Hill, New Zealand volcanic peak * ''One Tree Hill'' (TV series), a 2003–2012 American drama series named for the U2 song ** ''One Tree Hill'' (soundtr ...

Borough Council and Auckland Hospital Board. He was unsuccessful in each attempt. He represented the Ponsonby electorate from

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

to 1963, and then the

Grey Lynn Grey Lynn is an inner suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located to the west of the city centre. Originally a separate borough, Grey Lynn amalgamated with Auckland City in 1914. Grey Lynn is centred on Grey Lynn Park, which was not part of the ...

electorate from

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

to 1969, when he retired. Union secretary

Tom Skinner Sir Thomas Edward Skinner (18 April 1909 – 11 November 1991) was a New Zealand politician and Trades Union leader. Sir Tom served as President of the Auckland Trades Council from 1954 to 1976, and President of the New Zealand Federation of ...

was resentful of the fact that Macdonald had won the nomination for the safe seat of Ponsonby whilst he had been allocated the more marginal seat of Tamaki. From 1958 to 1966 Macdonald was Labour's junior whip. During the

Second Labour Government The second (symbol: s) is the unit of Time in physics, time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally t ...

(1957–60) Labour held a working majority of one causing the party

whips 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 e ...

to impose strict discipline for attendance in the house to avoid the government losing a division. Consequently, National and Labour MPs were paired in absences. Macdonald and National's

Gordon Grieve Gordon Glendinning Grieve (21 August 1912 – 17 October 1993) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. Biography Grieve was born in 1912 in Otahuti, Southland, a locality north-west of Invercargill. He attended Otahuti Sch ...

were scheduled to make an official trip to Antarctica but their flight was turned back to land in Christchurch due to bad weather. The same day cabinet minister

Hugh Watt Hugh Watt (19 March 1912 – 4 February 1980) was a New Zealand politician who was a Labour member of Parliament and the acting prime minister of New Zealand between 31 August and 6 September 1974, following the death of Prime Minister Norma ...

was unexpectedly hospitalised and unable to attend a sitting, meaning the government was in danger of losing a vote. Prime Minister

Walter Nash Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...

authorised an immediate Air Force transport craft to fly to Christchurch to bring Macdonald back to Wellington (and leave Grieve there) to make sure the government had the numbers. However a vote was never taken. Macdonald was skilled at engaging with labourers and factory workers more effectively than most of his more intellectual caucus colleagues who considered him a lightweight, but

Warren Freer Warren Wilfred Freer (27 December 1920 – 29 March 2013) was a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party. He represented the Mount Albert electorate from 1947 to . He is internationally known as the first Western politician ever ...

said that he possessed a "common touch". Macdonald was one of the few senior Labour MPs who backed

Norman Kirk Norman Eric Kirk (6 January 1923 – 31 August 1974) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 29th prime minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. Born into poverty in Southern Canterbury, Kirk left school at ...

as leader. He considered Kirk the most democratic leader Labour had ever had and appreciated how he let caucus members openly "say their piece" in ways never allowed under

Fraser Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ele ...

, Nash or Nordmeyer, and he regretted that the newer (and future) Labour MPs would be unable to make this comparison. The then

Mayor of Auckland The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland Region in New Zealand, which it controls as a unitary authority. The position exists since October 2010 after the amalga ...

Sir

Dove-Myer Robinson Sir Dove-Myer Robinson (15 June 1901 – 14 August 1989) was Mayor of Auckland City from 1959 to 1965 and from 1968 to 1980, the longest tenure of any holder of the office. He was a colourful character and became affectionately known across New ...

said about him when he retired: "His is the old style of personal assistance. The majority of modern politicians do not know what that means." Robert Chapman said that ''the Parliamentary superannuation scheme'' (introduced in 1946) ''.... encouraged thoughts of retirement even among Labour's sempiternal back-benchers for, after all, Ritchie Macdonald did retire, not die, in the end''.

Later life and death

In 1970, Macdonald was appointed a member of the board of trustees of the Auckland Savings Bank. In the 1973 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, for services to the community. Macdonald died at his home in

on 14 March 1987, aged 91, and his body was cremated at Purewa Crematorium.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Ritchie 1895 births 1987 deaths 20th-century New Zealand farmers New Zealand Labour Party MPs New Zealand trade unionists British emigrants to New Zealand Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates 20th-century New Zealand politicians New Zealand justices of the peace New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire