28 Facts About Tom Shand

Thomas Philip Shand was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Tom Shand's parents were Gilbert Esme Tressillian Shand and Constance Kippenberger, both of whom were from prominent Canterbury families, who owned and operated a farm of their own in Ngapara.

Tom Shand received his education at St Andrew's College, Christ's College, the University of Canterbury.

Tom Shand's studies were cut short by the onset of the Great Depression and he returned home to work as a shepherd on the family farm from 1931 to 1933.

Tom Shand then worked freezing and flax industries from 1933 to 1935, taking an active role in trade union affairs.

Tom Shand was an active sportsman, competing as a boxer while a student and played sub-union rugby in Canterbury.

Tom Shand was gazetted as a pilot in January 1943 and in June that year he was promoted to Flying Officer.

Tom Shand returned to his family farm and proceeded to take a course at Canterbury Agricultural College in farm management.

Tom Shand first stood for Parliament in 1943 against the incumbent Labour representative in the Marlborough electorate, Ted Meachen, and was unsuccessful.

Tom Shand quickly became known in Parliament for his "fiery robustness" and became known as a passionate yet outspoken debater.

Tom Shand gained notoriety in 1947 when he tore up the pages of his copy of the Labour government's budget, though it was revealed he had cut most of the way through it with scissors beforehand.

Tom Shand was a cabinet minister in the First National Government as Postmaster-General, Minister of Civil Aviation and Minister for Rehabilitation from 1954 to 1957.

Tom Shand oversaw the expansion of Wellington International Airport and was made extra land provisions for returned servicemen, based on his own experience as a rehabilitated farmer he was supportive of them becoming farmers.

On one noted occasion Tom Shand lost an argument in cabinet.

From 1957 to 1960, National was in opposition and Tom Shand was designated National's spokesperson for Civil Aviation by party leader Keith Holyoake.

Tom Shand was appointed chairman the Cabinet Committee on Government Administration where he played a major role in reorganising government administration by legislating the State Services Act, 1962.

Tom Shand always made a point of knowing what went on at the location of a workplace dispute and built good working relationships with the trade union leaders at the New Zealand Federation of Labour, earning their trust and admiration for his directness and courage.

Tom Shand perpetually emphasised the importance of workplace productivity and developed an active interest in a whole range of workforce related issues.

Tom Shand oversaw the investigation and verdict of the Woodhouse Report in 1966, chaired by Owen Woodhouse, which proposed a radical "no-fault" accident compensation system.

Tom Shand broke ranks with the rest of cabinet in 1968 and joined the FOL in its opposition to the "nil wage order", however cabinet voted for it anyway to ensure an end to the practice of wage fixing by the Court of Arbitration.

Tom Shand had a predilection for "buying" industrial peace by accommodating higher wage demands which often caused problems for other ministers as it caused inflation and higher taxation.

Tom Shand lobbied Holyoake for the role of Minister of Finance following the death of Harry Lake in 1967.

Tom Shand congratulated Muldoon, the only minister to do so on an individual basis, and promised to support him so long as he stuck to traditional conservative financial policies.

Tom Shand was one of the first politicians in New Zealand to grasp the significance that Britain's membership of the European Economic Community would have for New Zealand.

Tom Shand likewise understood the importance of international investment and became an early advocate for New Zealand joining the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Tom Shand was seen as a likely successor to Holyoake as National Party leader following his 20 years in Parliament, 12 of them as an energetic and effective minister.

Tom Shand had been a smoker all his life and was seldom seen without his pipe in his mouth.

Tom Shand died as a result of lung cancer on 11 December 1969, just twelve days after being re-elected in that year's general election.