23 Facts About Tom McGuigan

Tom McGuigan was born and raised in the Christchurch suburb of Woolston.

Tom McGuigan attended Christchurch Boys' High School and represented his school in various sports.

Tom McGuigan then studied accountancy at Christchurch Technical College until World War II broke out.

Tom McGuigan visited many Asian countries, where poverty was rife and class differences stood out, he decided later to enter politics for this reason and improve people's living standards.

Tom McGuigan ended up arriving in New Zealand first, because the ship carrying McGuigan had to turn around at Fremantle and head back to England.

Tom McGuigan was an accountant and secretary from 1946 to 1954.

Tom McGuigan was the house manager at Christchurch Hospital, senior administration officer at Princess Margaret Hospital, house manager of Coronation House, and house manager at the North Canterbury Hospital Board Subsidiary Institution.

Tom McGuigan stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in the 1954 election in Lyttelton.

Tom McGuigan initially had a 36-vote lead on election night, but his small majority was eroded after the counting of special votes.

Tom McGuigan instead suggested his friend Norman Kirk stand in 1957 election for Lyttelton, and became electorate organiser when Kirk took the seat.

Tom McGuigan later stood as a Labour Party candidate for the Christchurch City Council at a 1958 by-election, but was unsuccessful.

When Kirk switched to the Sydenham electorate in 1969, Tom McGuigan stood to replace him for Lyttelton and won selection.

Tom McGuigan was elected to Parliament in the 1969 election in the Lyttelton electorate.

Tom McGuigan created an independent body, the Guardians of Lake Manapouri, Monowai, and Te Anau to oversee management of the lake levels.

Tom McGuigan had to react to New Zealand's growing power demands, but refused to resort to nuclear power, reaffirming the government's anti-nuclear stance.

Tom McGuigan became known as one of the economic realists in the cabinet and frequently argued against tear-away spending.

Tom McGuigan oversaw completion of the White Paper on Health, which called for establishment of partly elected district health boards and a centralised computer system to improve administration.

Tom McGuigan approved a cardio-thoracic unit at Christchurch Hospital, but it took twenty years until such a unit was established.

Tom McGuigan visited Vietnam near the end of the Vietnam War.

Tom McGuigan was unexpectedly defeated in the 1975 election by Colleen Dewe of the National Party.

Tom McGuigan was re-elected to the board in 1983, but did not seek re-election in 1986.

Tom McGuigan was for many years the secretary of the Canterbury Football Association, and he refereed boys' soccer.

Tom McGuigan died at Windsor House, a rest home in Christchurch's suburb of Shirley, on 5 February 2013, aged 91.