Ronald Algie

Ronald Algie (1950)

Ronald Macmillan Algie Kt (born October 22, 1888 in Wyndham , Southland , New Zealand ; † July 23, 1978 in Auckland ) was a New Zealand lawyer , university professor and politician who was a member of the House of Representatives for over 23 years and Minister of Education between 1949 and 1957 as well as the minister responsible for other departments. In these functions, he carried out numerous reforms to improve academic and academic performance. He later served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives between 1960 and 1966 .

Life

Studied, teacher and professor in Auckland

Algie, son of Postmaster John Alexander Algie, graduated from Thames High School in Arrowtown and Balclutha District High School in Balclutha and then taught at an elementary school before starting a law firm . He also studied law at Auckland University College , which he completed in 1913 with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.). Due to his intellectual and educational skills, he immediately took up a position as an assistant lecturer . In addition, he continued his studies and graduated in 1915 with a Master of Laws (LL.M.). On December 14, 1917, he married Helen Adair McMaster in Auckland, their first marriage, which, however, remained childless.

In 1920, at the age of 31, Algie assumed the first professorship in law at the University College of Auckland. As such, he earned the reputation of a brilliant university lecturer with a conservative attitude who, in addition to general teaching methods in law, also emphasized the importance of professional standards and responsibility. He was involved in both the college faculty committee and the Senate of the University of New Zealand , an organization established by law in 1870 under which all of New Zealand's academic institutions were brought together. In debates about academic freedom in the 1930s, he supported conservative positions.

In 1937 Algie resigned from his chair to become director of the Auckland Provincial Freedom Association , which later became the New Zealand Freedom Association , a legal organization in strong opposition to the government of the New Zealand Labor Party under Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage stood. The Auckland Provincial Freedom Association had been a public organization of the National Party since 1938.

MP and Minister

Prime Minister Sidney Holland appointed Algie Minister of Education in his government in 1949

As a candidate for the National Party, Algie was first elected to the House of Representatives on September 25, 1943 in the safe constituency of Remuera . During his membership in parliament he earned a reputation as an outstanding speaker, whose contributions to the debate were praised by opponents such as Labor MP and then Railway Minister Bob Semple as well as by party friends. He was often nominated as a speaker after contributions from leading Labor politicians by his faction , which was in the opposition, so that he became one of the most influential parliamentary speakers of his time.

This led to the fact that, after his party's victory in the parliamentary elections in 1949, Prime Minister Sidney Holland appointed him as Minister of Education in his cabinet on December 13, 1949 , and this function until the end of Holland's term of office on September 20, 1957 clothed. At the same time, in 1951, he took over the functions of Minister in charge of Broadcasting and Minister in charge of scientific and industrial research . He also held these ministerial offices after Holland resigned on September 20, 1957 for health reasons and was replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Keith Holyoake and held this office until December 12, 1957.

Report on the abolition of the Legislative Council

But he took his urgent task in 1949 together with TO Bishop, a member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand , the former upper house of neuländischen Parliament , true: Both were co-chairman of a special committee, which dealt with the creation of a workable alternative to the Legislative Council. The Dutch government committed itself in 1950 to abolishing this body.

When Bishop fell ill, responsibility lay entirely with Algie, who was also burdened with his ministerial obligations. In 1952 he submitted a report to the Constitutional Reform Committee . This noteworthy basis for discussion was largely a result of Algie's knowledge, proficiency and political wisdom.

The work as Minister of Education

At the same time he was an efficient, conscientious and effective education minister whose appointment after his attacks on the “socialist” education policy of the previous Labor government of Prime Minister Fraser led to professional fears and suspicions between him and the dynamic director of the ministry, Dr. CE Beeby, led. During his regular visits to kindergartens and schools, however, he was satisfied that despite changes in teaching, the three basic subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic (reading, writing and arithmetic) were taught well. In the course of time, therefore, the relationship with Beeby improved and thus also with the other officials of the ministry.

However, the existing education system was faced with growing challenges. In response to Algie's demands, the Holland government supported the previous Labor government's plans for a massive building program and a substantial increase in teaching rates to meet the rapidly growing demand for primary school places. Another key decision was the continuation of plans to continue multi-purpose secondary schools, replacing the National Party's earlier decision to separate academic and technical high schools .

The tertiary education sector also experienced reforms under Algie. There were plans for larger universities and more teacher training colleges to be used. The University of New Zealand took the first steps towards the autonomy of its affiliated colleges, while negotiations on mutual recognition were intended to facilitate the recruitment of university professors from other countries. Another important initiative, in anticipation of future needs for engineers, scientists and technicians, has been to reconsider the types and levels of tertiary education. In 1957, Algie passed the plans for the Auckland Technical Institute (ATI) and the Central Technical College, which later became the Central Institute of Technology.

Working as Minister for Scientific and Industrial Research

Algie was no less successful in securing scientific resources, to which he paid less attention than education. Nevertheless, he was also very interested in science, shaped by his collaboration with Ernest Marsden , the former secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research ( DSIR ) , with whom he was a former member of the academic committee of the University of New Zealand was. The DSIR found itself under considerable financial constraints and restrictions, which ultimately led to cuts in staffing levels. In the early 1950s, he therefore supported reforms within the DSIR that included higher standards of recruitment, performance-based pay, and the transfer of responsibilities to research team leaders while being accountable for the resources used. This approach was unique in the civil service and served as a model for subsequent reforms in the civil service.

At the end of his tenure as minister in charge of scientific and industrial research, the DSIR ensured excellence in scientific research based on sound administration. The first geothermal power plant was established in Wairakei and, in addition to the New Zealand Geological Survey and the DSIR Geophysics Division , the Institute of Nuclear Sciences was developed, which began its work in 1959. At the same time, however, scientific support for the exploration of crude oil and natural gas was maintained and the iron sand from the Taranaki region was discovered as the basis for the steel industry . Algie was also a passionate champion and supporter of the New Zealand Antarctic Program (Antarctica New Zealand) , which finally began in 1959 , which also included the construction of Scott Base as the center of years of activity.

Working as a minister responsible for broadcasting

as a minister in charge of broadcasting, Algie began to narrow the policy of ministerial control of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service (NZBS), which has seen its radio program as the presenter of government policy since the Labor government's creation of the facility as a government agency in 1936. Political pressures on broadcasting, coupled with financial pressures, made him reluctant to enforce the long-requested need for an independent broadcast news system. For the same reasons, he also delayed the introduction of television. He also continued strong support for another supposedly costly radio icon, the National Orchestra .

Ultimately, Algie was, alongside Health Minister Josiah Ralph Hanan and Post Minister Thomas Philip Shand, one of the ministers who largely dealt with the reforms during Prime Minister Holland's tenure.

Opposition years and Speaker of the House of Representatives

During the tenure of Prime Minister Keith Holyoake , Algie served as Speaker of the House from 1960 to 1966

In December 1960 the National Party was defeated. The Labor Party won the election with a majority of just one seat, and Holyoake was the opposition leader for the three years leading up to the next election. Algie took on leading roles in the opposition and became a major critic of Labor Prime Minister Walter Nash's “faults, follies, and mismanagement of a most unpopular government” .

When the National Party won the 1960 elections, Algie hoped that Prime Minister Keith Holyoake would appoint him Minister of External Affairs . However, by that time he was already 72 years old and, under pressure from his party, reluctantly took over the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to succeed Labor politician Robert Macfarlane . During his tenure as speaker of parliament he again dealt with constitutional and legal questions in order to reform the growing parliamentary work and longer meetings and during this time between 1961 and 1962 he was also chairman of a committee to reform the parliamentary rules of procedure. His knowledge of the constitution of other legislatures proved to be useful for the renewal of parliamentary practice and systems, which was necessary in particular in financial terms and led to the introduction of a new Committee for Public Expenditure (Public Expenditure Committee) .

The office of Speaker of the House of Representatives was held by Algie, who was beaten to a Knight Bachelor degree in 1964 and since then has been given the suffix "Sir" until November 26, 1966 and was then replaced by his fellow party member Roy Jack . When he left the House of Representatives, he was recognized as an “outstanding speaker” and received an honorary doctorate in law from the University of Auckland in 1967.

Honors

The Algie glacier and the Algie Knoll hill in Antarctica are named after him.

Web links

• Biography in Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Individual evidence

1. ↑ New Zealand House of Representatives Speakers (rulers.org)