Lange on Clark

Fascinating extracts from David Lange’s autobiography in the SST and HOS.

Lange says that Helen Clark did not oppose the flat tax proposal – only Michael Cullen did. He explains that Roger Douglas “bought Clark off by promising her supply in her housing portfolio” and “She responded by putting her head down. I do not remember her buying into any fight we ever had in Cabinet. She was by her own account a survivor: as long as her paddock had a good sole of grass the firestorm could consume the rest.”

Such a principled person, Lange portrays.

Also an interesting conversation with the man Helen Clark has designated as one of our 20 greatest living New Zealanders:

Lange recalls how when he first arrived in Parliament, Jonathan Hunt told him of the free air travel to which he was entitled, specifically how one could join the Invercargill Public Library and fly down to get out books and return them.

No wonder the taxis fares got so large with that attitude!