24 Facts About Larry Sutherland

Larry Walter Sutherland was a New Zealand politician, and an MP from 1987 to 1999, representing the Labour Party.

Larry Sutherland attended Lincoln High School and after completing his education he worked many different jobs as a labourer, farm worker and forester.

Larry Sutherland eventually moved to Nelson where he trained as a sawfiler.

Larry Sutherland became regional representative of the Wellington and Nelson Shop Employees' Union and president of the Nelson Trades Council.

Larry Sutherland was a member of the Nelson Community Education Council, Nelson Polytechnic Council and the Nelson Public Relations and Promotion Committee.

Larry Sutherland joined the Labour Party himself and worked with Rowling, first as treasurer of the Tasman Labour Party electorate committee, and subsequently as its chairman.

Larry Sutherland then sought nomination as Labour candidate for Nelson, in 1980 during Mel Courtney's split with the Labour Party.

Larry Sutherland was narrowly defeated for the nomination by Philip Woollaston.

Larry Sutherland moved back to Christchurch in 1984 and worked as a union official and continued his political involvement.

Larry Sutherland was assistant secretary of the Canterbury, Westland and Nelson Shop Employees' Union and chairman of the Labour Party's Canterbury Regional Council.

Larry Sutherland was first elected to Parliament in the 1987 election as MP for the Christchurch electorate of Avon, replacing the retiring Mary Batchelor after a tight three-way contest for the Labour candidacy.

Larry Sutherland's first term in Parliament was a very stressful time for him.

Traditional Labour members resisted but were outnumbered and Larry Sutherland saw himself as "in opposition in his own caucus".

When high-profile Labour MP Jim Anderton quit the party to form the NewLabour Party in protest of Rogernomics, Larry Sutherland was widely tipped to follow him to the new party.

Larry Sutherland was vindicated in this regard when the party later turned its back on Rogernomics following the governments defeat in 1990 election.

Larry Sutherland supported Helen Clark's leadership coup bid after the 1993 election and, in perhaps his most outspoken moment, called on disgruntled MPs to "pull their heads in" and listen to rank-and-file members who wanted an end to Labour's internal bickering.

Larry Sutherland retained that electorate until it was abolished in the 1996 election, when he successfully contested the reconstituted Christchurch East electorate.

Larry Sutherland opted not to be placed on Labour's 1996 party list.

Larry Sutherland's most notable incident as an MP was a late night escapade where he swam a length of the parliamentary swimming pool whilst wearing National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley's togs.

Larry Sutherland did not hold any ministerial portfolios, but became Labour's Junior Whip in 1993.

Larry Sutherland was noted among his colleagues as a hard worker behind the scenes as junior whip, contributing much to party unity through a time of frequent rifts.

Larry Sutherland had always been a technology enthusiast and liked to possess state of the art stereo and television equipment.

Larry Sutherland died suddenly in Christchurch on 21 June 2005, aged 54.

Larry Sutherland was survived by wife Verna, son David, daughter Christine and one grandchild.