David Lange

David Lange

Personal Details
Birth:	4 August 1942 in Auckland, New Zealand
Marriages:	to Naomi Joy Crampton to Margaret Pope
Children:	Four
Religion:	Methodist
Background:	Lawyer
Political Details
Electorates:	Mangere
Order:	32nd Prime Minister
Political Party:	Labour
Premiership
Predecessor:	Robert Muldoon
Term of Office:	26 July 1984 to 8 August 1989
Duration:	5 years, 13 days
Cause of Departure:	Resignation
Successor:	Geoffrey Palmer

The Right Honourable David Russell Lange, CH, ONZ, was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed one of the most radical governments in the history of New Zealand, as his ministers Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble rapidly dismantled the legacies of Robert Muldoon.

Lange entered parliament as the Member for Mangere in 1977 in a by-election. Prior to entering Parliament, he practised law in Northland and Auckland. He retired from Parliament in 1996. His successor in the Mangere electorate was Labour Party colleague Taito Philip Field.

Although nominally a Labour Party government, a rapid programme of deregulation and privatisation appeared to take inspiration more from Reaganomics and Thatcherism than traditional left wing values. During the early years yuppie culture flourished and the stock market boomed as investment companies flourished.

Lange gave something back to the left with a long running campaign against nuclear weapons. Visits of warships from the United States ended when the USA refused to confirm or deny that any particular vessel was carrying such weapons, and New Zealand was effectively detached from the ANZUS alliance. Relations with France were also strained by Rainbow Warrior affair from July 10, 1985. One of the highlights of this period was a widely televised Oxford Union debate in 1985 where Lange, a skilled orator, argued for the proposition that "nuclear weapons are morally indefensible", in opposition to Jerry Falwell.

The stock market crash of October 19, 1987 showed that the financial bubble had little substance (similar to the Enron debacle of 2001) and many of the high-flying companies proved to be worthless. In 1988 consensus on economic policy amongst the Labour leadership finally broke down, with Lange dismissing finance minister Roger Douglas after Douglas proposed a radical flat income tax.

Lange also held office as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1984 to 1987) and Minister of Education (1987 to 1989). Upon his replacement as party leader and prime minister by Geoffrey Palmer in 1989, he was (from 1989 to 1990) Attorney-General, the Minister in Charge of the Serious Fraud Office and a Minister of State.

Lange was created a Companion of Honour in 1990 and was created an Ordinary Member of the Order of New Zealand on 2 June 2003.

In 2002, Lange was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare and incurable blood plasma disorder. He has undergone extensive medical treatment for this condition. Although intitially told he had only four months to live, Lange has so far defied his doctors' expectations, and remains "optimistic" about his health.

Preceded by: Robert Muldoon

Prime Minister of New Zealand

Followed by: Geoffrey Palmer