Ronald Algie

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The Honourable
Sir Ronald Algie
15th Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
20 June 1961 – 26 November 1966
Prime MinisterKeith Holyoake
Preceded byRobert Macfarlane
Succeeded byRoy Jack
9th Minister for Science and Industrial Research
In office
19 September 1951 – 12 December 1957
Prime MinisterSidney Holland
Keith Holyoake
Preceded byClifton Webb
Succeeded byPhil Holloway
6th Minister of Broadcasting
In office
19 September 1951 – 12 December 1957
Prime MinisterSidney Holland
Keith Holyoake
Preceded byFrederick Doidge
Succeeded byRay Boord
25th Minister of Education
In office
13 December 1949 – 12 December 1957
Prime MinisterSidney Holland
Keith Holyoake
Preceded byTerry McCombs
Succeeded byPhilip Skoglund
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Remuera
In office
25 September 1943 – 26 November 1966
Preceded byBill Endean
Succeeded byAllan Highet
Personal details
Born
Ronald Macmillan Algie

(1888-10-22)22 October 1888
Wyndham, New Zealand
Died23 July 1978(1978-07-23) (aged 89)
Auckland, New Zealand
Political partyNational
Spouse
Helen Adair McMaster
​
​
(m. 1917; died 1944)​
ProfessionProfessor

Sir Ronald Macmillan Algie (22 October 1888 – 23 July 1978) was a New Zealand politician who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives for six years in the 1960s. He described himself as "a Tory in the old tradition".[1]

Early life[edit]

Algie was born on 22 October 1888, in Wyndham, a small town in New Zealand's Southland Region. He was educated at Arrowtown, Thames High School and Balclutha District High School. He became a teacher at Paeroa District High School before transferring to a school in Ponsonby and later was the junior English master at Seddon Memorial Technical College.[2] He attended Auckland University College to study law and gained an LLB in 1913 and an LLM in 1915. In 1920, aged 31, he became the first professor of law at Auckland University College. He was noted for his strong intellectual performance, and also for his conservative views.[1]

On 4 December 1917 at St Mary's pro-Cathedral, Parnell, Algie married Helen Adair McMaster,[3] a prominent alpinist whose climbs included an ascent of Aoraki / Mount Cook.[4]

Member of Parliament[edit]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1943–1946 27th Remuera National
1946–1949 28th Remuera National
1949–1951 29th Remuera National
1951–1954 30th Remuera National
1954–1957 31st Remuera National
1957–1960 32nd Remuera National
1960–1963 33rd Remuera National
1963–1966 34th Remuera National

In 1937, Algie became the director of the Freedom Association, an organisation which strongly opposed the left-wing Labour Party government of the time. The Freedom Association quickly became linked to the new National Party, and Algie became one of the party's more prominent supporters and was involved in the Remuera electorate. The incumbent MP for Remuera was National's Bill Endean who was unpopular among supporters, so much so that he was nearly deselected for the planned 1941 general election.[5] The 1941 election was postponed due to the war, though, and Endean failed to get selected by the National Party for the 1943 election and Algie was chosen instead.[6] Endean was overseas at the time of the selection, but even if he had been present, Gustafson believes that the "elderly, dull Endean would have been no match for the clever and witty Algie". Endean was the first sitting National MP who failed to get re-selected.[5] Algie won the seat and entered Parliament.[2]

Algie proved to be a skilled Parliamentary debater, and has been described by Hugh Templeton as the best debater of his time. Even opponents such as Bob Semple respected Algie's rhetorical abilities. He was also noted for remaining polite throughout debates, and for his willingness to apologise for any offence he accidentally gave.[1]

Cabinet minister[edit]

After the 1949 election, when Sidney Holland formed the first National government, Algie was immediately elevated to Cabinet. He was initially appointed Minister of Education, and later became Minister of Broadcasting and Minister for Science and Industrial Research.[7] He also co-led the committee that looked into the future of the Legislative Council, the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament, which was abolished from 1951. In the end, however, Algie's proposals for a Senate were not pursued, and New Zealand's parliament has not had an upper house since that time.[1]

In 1953, Algie was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.[8] Algie briefly returned to Opposition after the 1957 election, which National lost. In opposition he was appointed Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs.[9]

Speaker of the House[edit]

When National regained power after the 1960 election, Algie is believed to have wanted the post of Minister of External Affairs, but was not given it (possibly because of his age; he was seventy-two). Instead, he was convinced to take up the Speakership. He officially assumed office at the beginning of the 1961 parliamentary term.[1]

As Speaker, Algie was known for his strong insistence on politeness in debates. He also undertook a number of reforms of Parliamentary procedure to accommodate the changing nature of politics. He served six years as Speaker, retiring at the 1966 election. He was generally praised for his performance in the role and in the 1964 Queen's Birthday Honours Algie was appointed a Knight Bachelor.[10][11] Algie was succeeded in the Remuera seat by Allan Highet.[12]

Algie died in Auckland on 23 July 1978.[2]

Further reading[edit]

  • Bible in schools: the opposition of prominent educationalists, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Issued by the State Education Defence League, 1926
  • This tract lists the views of several prominent politicians and educators, including Algie.
  • Aldis, Morton (1938), Socialism, capitalism & freedom: a reply to Professor Algie and the Freedom Association, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Auckland Fabian Club
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1933), Report on certain aspects of legal education, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Auckland University College
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1935), The law of defamation [Bulletin (Auckland University College); no. 28; Bulletin (Auckland University College). Journalism series ; no. 2.], Auckland, [N.Z.]: Auckland University College
  • Algie, Ronald M. (c. 1939), The holding of elections, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1939), Ministerial control, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1940), The British empire, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (c. 1940), The Statute of Westminster: its background, purpose and content: a compilation of views and opinions, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1940), The British parliament, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1940), Democracy and its modern rivals, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1940), Democracy and our economic system : a compilation of views and opinions prepared for consideration and study, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1940), Democracy: some views and opinions, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (c. 1941), The development of the British Commonwealth : some views and opinions, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1941), The economic problem: Conservative and labour opinions : a summary of the views expressed by Mr Geoffrey Crowther, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association ; Worthington Press
  • Algie, Ronald M. (c. 1941), Our way of life: an address to young New Zealanders: a few thoughts on democracy, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand National Party
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1941), The socialisation of the land: an examination of the policy of the Labour government, 1936–1940, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1941), The State and the Small Farms Act: soldier settlement or state socialisation, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1943), Developments in foreign relations: opinions upon certain important questions, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1943), The government and the banks, Auckland, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Freedom Association
  • Algie, Ronald M. (1950), True education: that boys and girls should learn how to live, not merely how to earn a living: extracts from a speech delivered...civic reception in the city of Nelson, Thursday, 15th June 1950, Nelson, [N.Z.]: Stiles & Co.
  • Algie, Ronald M. (chair) (1955), Report of Juvenile Delinquency Committee, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Templeton, Hugh. "Algie, Ronald Macmillan". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Gustafson 1986, p. 296.
  3. ^ "The social sphere". The Observer. 29 December 1917. p. 8. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Obituary: Mrs. R. M. Algie". Auckland Star. 25 May 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  5. ^ a b Gustafson 1986, p. 235.
  6. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 309.
  7. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 86-7.
  8. ^ "Coronation Medal" (PDF). Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette. No. 37. 3 July 1953. pp. 1021–1035. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  9. ^ "National Party Caucus". The New Zealand Herald. 21 March 1958. p. 12.
  10. ^ "Birthday Honours" (18 June 1964) 37 New Zealand Gazette 995.
  11. ^ "No. 43345". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 13 June 1964. p. 4977.
  12. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 321.

References[edit]

  • Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ronald Algie.
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
1960–1966 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Science and Industrial Research
1951–1957 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Broadcasting
1951–1957 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Education
1949–1957 		Succeeded by
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Remuera
1943–1966 		Succeeded by
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