26 Facts About Derek Quigley

Derek Francis Quigley was born on 31 January 1932 and is a New Zealand former politician.

Derek Quigley was a prominent member of the National Party during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and was known for his support of free-market economics and trade liberalisation.

Derek Quigley was born on 31 January 1932 in Waikari, a small town in the northern Canterbury Region, the son of Francis John Derek Quigley.

Derek Quigley attended Waipara Primary school before continuing with education in Christchurch; first at Medbury School, then Christ's College, followed by the University of Canterbury.

Derek Quigley later donated his personal parliamentary library, which covers his political career until 1984, to Canterbury University's Macmillan Brown Library.

Derek Quigley gained one of two scholarships for young farmers from the Meat and Wool Board and used it to study farming in Britain and the United States.

Derek Quigley completed a law degree while farming and joined a Christchurch law firm, where he became a senior partner and practised as a lawyer.

In 1956, Derek Quigley married Judith Ann Dickson, and the couple had four children.

Derek Quigley was a member of the Dominion Council and served on its executive committee.

Derek Quigley stood in the safe Labour seat of Sydenham against cabinet minister Mabel Howard in the 1960 and 1963 elections.

Derek Quigley sought the National nomination for the safe National seat of Hurunui at a 1961 by-election, but was unsuccessful.

Derek Quigley stood in the Rangiora electorate in the 1975 election.

Derek Quigley was Minister of Housing, Minister of Tourism, Minister of Works and Development, and Associate Minister of Finance.

Derek Quigley held further minor ministerial posts as Minister of Earthquake and War Damage, Minister of Government Life Insurance, Minister of Public Trust, and Minister for State Insurance.

Derek Quigley rapidly earned the hostility of senior National Party figures with his criticism of the government's economic policies.

The Prime Minister of the day, Robert Muldoon, favoured decidedly interventionist policies, but Derek Quigley preferred a more laissez-faire approach, and considered Muldoon's interventionism to be contrary to the traditional spirit of the National Party.

In February 1981, Derek Quigley contested the deputy leadership of the party, despite Muldoon openly saying that he could not work with him.

Yet again Derek Quigley defied Muldoon and went on the show where he made no attempt at retracting his criticisms of government economic policy.

Muldoon and his allies reacted furiously to this continued public criticism with Muldoon saying that Derek Quigley had "offended, embarrassed and angered his parliamentary colleagues" and that his speech had gone beyond what was acceptable from a cabinet minister.

Derek Quigley was given the choice of either giving a public apology or resigning from Cabinet; he chose to resign.

In 1994, Derek Quigley re-entered the political arena, joining forces with Roger Douglas to form the ACT New Zealand party.

Derek Quigley unsuccessfully sought to be Speaker of the House, and was instead appointed the chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee.

Derek Quigley did not stand for re-election in 1999 election and was immediately appointed by the incoming Prime Minister, Helen Clark, to review the contract the previous government had signed with the United States for New Zealand to acquire 28 near new F-16 fighter aircraft.

Derek Quigley advised the government to renegotiate the contract and acquire a lesser number of aircraft.

Derek Quigley researched and wrote on trans-Tasman and regional security issues and on the ongoing situation between the United States and New Zealand over the latter's anti-nuclear policy.

In 1977, Derek Quigley was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1990 he received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.