Phil Holloway

Philip North Holloway (22 March 1917 – 28 May 2003) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Early life and career Holloway was born in Hokitika in 1917. His father was an Anglican parson and he received his secondary education at Waitaki Boys' High School. He attended the University of Otago, but did not finish his degree because he went overseas in 1936. He was a door-to-door salesmen for vacuum cleaners in England before undertaking more study at Boston University. He then became a public circuit lecturer in the United States before returning to London and briefly became an assistant to prominent Labour MP Sir Stafford Cripps from 1938 to 1939. Upon returning to New Zealand he briefly worked for 2ZB. When World War II broke out, Holloway joined the army. He was a second lieutenant with the 26th Battalion, and saw service in North Africa and Italy.

Political career

He stood in the in the electorate, but was defeated by the incumbent, Matthew Oram of the National Party. At the 1947 local-body elections he stood unsuccessfully for the Wellington City Council on a Labour ticket (along with all other Labour candidates). In the , he unsuccessfully stood in the electorate.

He represented the Heretaunga electorate from 1954 to 1960, when he retired. He was both Minister of Industries and Commerce and Minister for Science and Industrial Research from 1957 to 1960 in the Second Labour Government. In that role, he was involved in the negotiations with Australia and eventually led to a free trade agreement.

In 1973, following the election of the Third Labour Government, Holloway was appointed as Ambassador to Italy (with cross-accreditation to Yugoslavia, Egypt and Iraq) and High Commissioner to Malta from 1973 to 1976. He was genuinely surprised with the award.