Bill Fox

William Arthur Fox (28 September 1899 – 9 October 1994) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and a Cabinet minister in the Second Labour Government of 1957–1960.

Biography Early life and career Fox was born in London on September 28, 1899. During World War I he served in the Royal Navy Mercantile Marine Reserve aboard the SS Tainui. He migrated to New Zealand in 1922. He married Dorothy May Sullivan in 1928 with whom he had two sons.

He was a long-time trade unionist and was a prominent member of the Federated Cooks and Stewards Union, of which he became Auckland secretary from 1930 to 1937. He was also the assistant national secretary from 1937 to 1941 before becoming national general secretary from 1941 to 1955. He then proceeded to serve as vice-president of the Federation of Labour from 1948 to 1955. He was also chairman of the Wellington Trades Council. He frequently stood up to Federation of Labour president Fintan Patrick Walsh, both disliking each other. In 1950 he was a representative of the New Zealand government to the International Labour Organization in Geneva.

Fox represented the Wellington electorate of from 1954 succeeding the retiring Bob Semple. Fox won the Labour selection in Miramar ahead of more favoured candidates, but received overwhelming union member support, due mainly to Walsh wanting to get him out of the Federation of Labour. Upon first entering Parliament Fox was subject to caucus suspicion as being a "stooge" of Walsh, despite the two having frequently clashed with each other.

Later life and death Following his exit from Parliament Fox retired and moved to Ōtaki. Following his exit from Parliament Fox was a member of the Waterfront Control Commission, Remuneration Authority and Wellington Rent Appeal Authority. He was also a trustee of the Wellington Trustee Savings Bank.

Fox died on 9 October 1994 at Wanganui Hospital, aged 95. He was survived by his wife Dorothy and his sons John and Ted.