1959: Keith Trek

July 5, 2021

By AHNZ

Keith Trek, 1959, was a successful attempt to start campaigning early for the General Election of 1960.

“In the next two months I will trek through every part of New Zealand,” said Keith Holyoake, the once and future Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Labour 2.0 Prime Minister Walter Nash was lying and committing crimes in Nelson (Walter’s Bluff.)

Holyoake promised “greater personal freedom..individual liberty..and more opportunity to lead your own lives..” Keith joked, orated, and beat back hecklers. He attacked over and over again the political gift of what his side cunningly termed ‘The Black Budget’. He visited hospitals, factories, opened the Pan Pacific Scout Jamboree, cut the haggis on Robert Burns birthday¹,…

At the start of the new year, from 2 January, 1960, Holyoake toured Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines. Not sure what the scam of that Trek was except to get lots of photos of himself looking international and Prime Ministerial. He’s been everywhere, man!

“The National Party cheerfully accept the verdict of the magirity,” he said. The reality, of course, is that Keith was far from pleased to have been booted out of office after holding it only 70 days. He proceeded to insult and attack Labour 2.0, bringing it down after just one term.” – 1957: Nash Equilibrium, AHNZ

“Labour Government 2.0 was a crumbling shambles held together by party discipline. Just a one-term wonder, Labour had barely managed to lick National in the election at all and would be booted out in election 1960.” – 1958: The Black Budget, AHNZ

“It could be said that the 1960 campaign began for Keith Holyoake as early as May 1959 – a year and a half before the election was due..In a “meet the people” campaign, later emulated by Rob Muldoon, he criss-crossed New Zealand.” – Doughty (1977)

“Labour 2.0 were conning everyone for the election. Getting 3000+ people’s hopes up, to their faces. The railway line was never to be completed. It did not make economic sense and rail was passing away at any rate. Yet, for the sentimental getting of votes Labour 2.0 promised to do it anyway.” – 1960: Nelson-Blenheim Railway, AHNZ

To a 500-strong audience at Gore, mid-1959, alongside Brian Talboys, Holyoake straight out said “The Labour Party won office by fraud. Wherever I go I find anger in the people and the greatest is in the hearts of the working man.” This was in direct contrast to what Holyoake said at the time: “The National Party cheerfully accept the verdict of the magirity.” Political hypocrisy is how you play the game, as Keith’s mentor MP Albert Jull.

Holyoake’s mission worked out very well for both captain and crew. Labour 2.0 were thrown out and Captain Keith was Prime Minister again and this time he’d been elected and it stuck. His style worked out pretty well but did not translate well to television…but that was yet to come.

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1 This keeps cropping up as a staple political event. The locals in Dunedin apparently just love it when a political wannabe stops by on Robby Burns’ birthday to partake in the haggis

Ref. The Holyoake Years, Doughty (1977)

Image ref. mod AHNZ (2021)

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