Michael Bassett

Michael Edward Rainton Bassett (born 28 August 1938) is a former Labour Party member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and cabinet minister in the reformist fourth Labour government. He is also a noted New Zealand historian, and has published a number of books on New Zealand politics, including biographies of Prime Ministers Peter Fraser, Gordon Coates and Joseph Ward.

Life before politics Bassett was born on 28 August 1938 in Auckland, the son of Clare Bassett (née Brown) and Edward Bassett, and educated at Owairaka School, Dilworth School, Mt Albert Grammar, and the University of Auckland.

In 1964, Bassett returned to New Zealand and became a senior lecturer in history at the University of Auckland. During this time he was a member of the Princes Street Labour branch.

Political career

Bassett stood unsuccessfully for the Labour Party in the for and in the for .

In 1971 Bassett was elected to the Auckland City Council. In the following year, he was elected as a Labour MP for Waitemata in the 1972 election, and the Labour Party became the government for the first time since 1960. Following the death of Prime Minister Norman Kirk in 1974 the party (and Bassett) were defeated in the following (1975) election. In his account of the Third Labour Government, Bassett described it as one of "the most active and socially responsible governments of the twentieth century." He distinguished himself as one of the better performing backbenchers in the government and during its term he assisted Henry May, the Minister of Local Government, in local body amalgamation.

Bassett was elected to the Te Atatu electorate in the 1978 election, holding the seat until 1990. Soon after returning to Parliament, he was appointed Shadow Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Sport & Recreation. In a reshuffle in March 1981 he was instead appointed Shadow Minister for Health. Bassett was vocally critical of party president Jim Anderton (particularly after Anderton was ejected from the head office of Air New Zealand during an industrial dispute) and declared he would challenge him for the presidency of the party. An open conflict drew the ire of others in the party and eventually Bassett withdrew his candidacy. He was still subsequently dumped from the shadow cabinet in February 1982.

In 1984, an electoral landslide in favour of Labour resulted in New Zealand's fourth Labour government (in office: 1984–1990). David Lange appointed Bassett Minister of Health and Minister of Local Government. As Minister of Local Government he imposed electoral reforms on councils to use a ward system for local electoral districts, replacing the more commonplace at large system.

Career after politics Bassett resumed his academic career, publishing several books on New Zealand political history, and contributing to the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography and the British Dictionary of National Biography. He worked for two years with New Zealand's Expo team in the run up to the Seville Expo '92. He was a professor of history at the University of Western Ontario on and off from 1992 to 1996, taught at the University of Auckland Medical School from 1997 to 2000, and was a Fulbright Professor of New Zealand Studies at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

From 1994 to 2004 Bassett was a member of the Waitangi Tribunal, which investigates breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.

He was a columnist for The Dominion Post in Wellington (until late 2006) and The Press in Christchurch.

An article by Bassett in The Northland Age was withdrawn by NZME in March 2021 after Bassett criticised the "bizarre craze" of New Zealand adopting Māori language words and phrases, such as using Aotearoa to refer to the country.

Scholarship In his article The Essentials of Successful Political Leadership in Twentieth Century New Zealand Politics, Bassett outlined the factors he thought were required for a Prime Minister to be successful. These factors include robust health, high energy levels, a good temperament, intelligence, a willingness to take the right, as opposed to the politically expedient, decision, a modicum of luck, a supportive spouse and charisma.

Personal life In 1964, Bassett married Judith Petrie, who went on to become a historian at the University of Auckland and a member of the Auckland Regional Council. In the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours, Bassett was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services. He was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services as an historian, in the 2018 New Year Honours.

Works

Bassett, Michael, The Socialist Party of America, 1912–1919: Years of Decline. PhD dissertation. Duke University. (1964) Bassett, Michael, Confrontation '51: the 1951 Waterfront Dispute (1972) Bassett, Michael, The Third Labour Government (1976)

Bassett, Michael, Sir Joseph Ward (1993);

Bassett, Michael, The Mother of All Departments: A History of the Department of Internal Affairs (1997) Bassett, Michael, The State in New Zealand 1840–1984: Socialism Without Doctrines? (1998) Bassett, Michael and King, Michael, Tomorrow Comes the Song: A life of Peter Fraser (2001) Bassett and Bassett, Judith, Roderick Deane: His Life & Times (2006) Bassett, Michael and Goldsmith, Paul, The Myers (2007) Bassett, Michael, Working with David (2008) Bassett, Michael and Goldsmith, Paul, Puketutu and its People (2008) Bassett, Michael, City of Sails: The History of Auckland City Council, 1989–2010 (2013) Bassett, Michael and Bassett, Judith, "The Next Vintage: The Babich Family and 100 Years of New Zealamd Wine", (2015" Bassett, Michael, "New Zealand's Prime Ministers: From Dick Seddon to John Key", (2017)