Roger Drayton

Roger Patrick Blundell Drayton (4 January 1925 – 21 June 1986) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Biography Early life and career Drayton was born in Templeton. He attended schools at Sockburn and Hornby before finishing his education at Christchurch Boys' High School.

Drayton trained at Wigram after enlisting in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1944, serving until 1969, by which time he had risen to the rank of Squadron leader. He served in the administrative section of the RNZAF and served abroad in Australia, Fiji and Singapore. Following World War II he was employed as a computer systems analyst for the Ministry of Defence. Drayton, according to Auckland MP Warren Freer, would never let anyone forget that he was from and represented Christchurch.

After the formation of the Third Labour Government he stood for a seat in the cabinet. He was not elected, which Prime Minister Norman Kirk regretted. He then put himself forward for the positions of Chairman of Committees and junior government whip, but was unsuccessful. In 1973, he stood unsuccessfully for the Labour Party vice-presidency, but was beaten by Grey Lynn MP Eddie Isbey. When Labour was unexpectedly defeated, Drayton retained his seat and in January 1976, he was appointed by Labour leader Bill Rowling as Shadow Minister of State Services. From 1977 to 1978 he was Shadow Minister of Defence. He became Labour's caucus secretary and later was Chief Opposition Whip between 1976 and 1978.

At the 1979 Labour Party conference Drayton was a candidate for the vice-presidency of the party. He polled well behind the winning candidate, Stu McCaffley, the secretary of the Drivers' Federation. Ahead of the he was tasked by the Labour caucus with writing a series of reports on Labour's chances of winning the election. His fourth report was controversial as it contained many criticisms of the party and some of its more liberal policy stances, particularly abortion. He also made the decision to release it publicly which angered Rowling and other MPs. Drayton was an opponent of abortion and a long time member of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child which was thought to be a motivating factor in the report, although he denied this.

Later life and death Drayton died at his home in Paraparaumu after a long illness aged 61, survived by his wife, son and daughter.