Dean Eyre

Dean Jack Eyre (8 May 1914 – 19 May 2007) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Biography Early life and career Eyre was born in Westport in 1914. His father was an official with the Customs Department and due to this the family moved around frequently, first on the West Coast then also living in New Plymouth, Takapuna and Ngāruawāhia later being educated at Hamilton Boys' High School. He developed an interest in politics early when he attended a political rally with his father in New Plymouth leading him to eventually join the junior league of the Reform Party in about 1933.

Aged 18, he moved to Auckland to study law at Auckland University College. Two years later his money ran out and was forced to give up his legal studies and eventually became a commercial traveller for a car parts company. He then in 1936 founded Airco (NZ) Ltd, a business importing American designed washing machines, refrigerators and other appliances which were assembled in a small factory just off Queen Street. His flatmates at the time were Maurice Paykel, Lou and Woolf Fisher who later went into business in the same industry on their own account. They four would remained lifelong friends. In 1937 he married Patricia Arnoldson, with whom he had 2 sons and one daughter. In 1938 Eyre had to suspend his business after imports from the United States were restricted by the government.

He served as a cabinet minister, initially under Sidney Holland as Minister of Industries and Commerce and Minister of Customs from 1954 to 1956. In February 1956, Holland announced that Eyre had been granted six weeks leave in order to attend to private business in Sweden. The Leader of the Opposition, Walter Nash, was critical of the decision. Nash questioned the appropriateness of a minister of the crown conducting his private business abroad. Holland was quick to dismiss any suggestion of impropriety, but was soon to swallow his words. Both The Evening Post and The Dominion (Wellington papers who normally wrote editorials slanted in favour of National) also went on the attack in editorials, urging Holland to reconsider. A surprised Holland reacted quickly and Eyre was forced to cancel his trip, and was stripped of his portfolios and given to Eric Halstead. To ease the situation, Eyre was allocated Halstead's portfolios instead.

In Holyoake's second ministry, he was again Minister of Defence (1960–1966), and Minister of Housing (1960–1963), and was Minister of Tourism (1963–1966). Under Holyoake's government, New Zealand decided to join the contentious United States led Vietnam War. Auckland newspaper The New Zealand Herald reported that on 23 November 1966, Eyre had responded to an election meeting question in Devonport that his personal solution to end the war in Vietnam was to drop "a basin full of bombs" on the enemy. Leader of the Opposition, Norman Kirk, took advantage of the Herald article as the war was a large issue at the . He sought $50,000 in damages from the Herald, and $50,000 each from its publisher Wilson and Horton and from the New Zealand Press Association. He won, and in March 1968 was awarded $15,000 from them and later an undisclosed amount from The Dominion. Soon afterwards, at a social function Eyre bumped in to Kirk where Kirk said he was anticipating also being in line for a damages claim. Eyre affirmed this and told Kirk "You can't afford it." To avoid litigation an apology was drafted and published by Kirk.

In 2003 Eyre was rendered disabled after suffering a stroke.

Honours and awards In 1953, Eyre was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, and in 1977 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal. He was also awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.