The Liberal Agenda – David McPhail and Muldoon’s long ghost
It’s difficult trying to explain to Millennials just how angry. frightened and hating many New Zealanders were of Robert Muldoon.
The malice he was prepared to perpetrate upon the New Zealand public by allowing the South African Springbok Tour showed a dead eyed lust for power at all costs that disgusted and sickened many.
Muldoon had no qualms about violently turning NZers against one another if that division benefitted him politically.
Like a human manifestation of General Woundwort from Watership Down, Muldoon stalked the darkest corridors of power with the constant threat of Rob’s Mob behind him.
In his steps echoed Massey’s cossacks, the looting of Parihaka, the jail cells of Nelson Mandela and the nuclear bomb.
That’s why David McPhail’s impersonation of Muldoon mattered so much to so many. He collectively gave the country the space to laugh, mock and stop being frightened of the dark psyche of NZ Muldoon had channelled.
I remember staying up late to watch McPhail play Muldoon, the glee and power in being able to laugh at the monster felt like an anarchic coping technique that bordered on sedition.
McPhail was doing that most dangerous of public broadcasting duties, relevant political satire.
I watched him in 2005 when he toured his one man Muldoon stage show. It was a powerful piece of political theatre where the actor who had benefited from Muldoon’s shadow for so long had come to a peace with the lonely wounded person Muldoon had descended into.
David McPhail helped heal a nation from a terrible nightmare, a public service using art and broadcasting that deserves lasting respect.
Rest in Peace David.
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Haha yep bang on, the memories of that time coming back now, even started to hum a song which always reminds me of that era….There is no depression in NZ …
Indeed, you almost had to be there, in that analogue world that both fostered and deplored Muldoon. Nice piece Martyn. It was fitting that Muldoon was in the end essentially brought down by a Lesbian woman, Nat MP Marilyn Waring.
I wouldn’t trust any of the pre neo liberal crowd , there were plenty waiting in the wings to get rid of Muldoon and the Keynesian consensus, – Bob Jones and his NZ party for one. The NZ party was formed specifically to split the National party vote to eject Muldoon and thus destroy the Keynesian consensus that we had had for nearly 60 years. The Keynesian consensus that effectively built our dams, hospitals, schools, roads, rail and airports and forestry – and provided subsidy’s and tariff protections for farmers and industry alike.
So Marylyn Waring did a way lot more damage than we ever realized to wreck NZ’s society and economy than she is ever credited for.
And whose to say she was not privately one of the Douglas / Richardson crowd seeing her opportunity to set in motion and instigate the hell this country has been through for the last 36 years?
so Rob Muldoon was a dictatorial little bastard – who maintained the welfare state – introduced the Domestic Purposes Benefit – used state intervention to help struggling industries – Universal Superannuation and negotiated with Trade Unions.
Was Rob as Dictator then worse than Roger Douglas, Richard Prebble, Ruth Richardson, Jenny Shipley who succeeded him?
Take a look at New Zealand history and you will see most of the things said about Rob Muldoon were also said about Dick Seddon. This man who was bigoted, ruthless, deceitful and cunning introduced some of the most progressive social welfare legislation in history. He and his party established the framework of today’s welfare state.
Reporter to Prime Minister Seddon; ” Mr Seddon you give important jobs to your friends.”
Seddon to Reporter; ‘ Do you expect me to give them to my enemies?’
Yeah a lot of overblown hatred towards Muldoon …but I’d go with him & his legacy carried forward by Winnie his protege any day of the week rather than with the Douglas-Prebble crowd & all the Labour sell-outs & the Bolger, Richardson, Shipley coterie & the National Party that followed after. Muldoon was not a Nazi. He was a social conservative economic leftist/Left Nationalist. He was the “right side” version of “left side” Jim Anderton. With the caveat that Muldoon was not that super rightist & Anderton was not that super leftist.
I find myself pretty on yours and Stevie’s opinion. Sure Muldoon was the guy everyone loved to hate if they were not National,…and sure he had his share of faults and was a dictatorial type,…but as someone has said on TDB before he was the last of the social democratic Keynesian PM’s.
But he sure took to heart his grandmothers socialist opinions and never left the idea of the welfare state , tariffs and subsidy’s. It was a sad day for NZ when he was ousted and replaced by the neo liberals.
Literally out of the pan and into the fire.
I directed a TV current affairs interview with Muldoon at his home in Auckland way back in the early 80s. It was quite an experience! Incredibly (think Olaf Palme), he was alone in the house and had boxes of Cabinet papers lined up on the table in the dining room. He plonked himself down in a chair and announced “I’m sitting here.” It was an awful spot – right on a corner leading into a corridor. “Okay Prime Minister,” I replied – and lit him so that his shadow extended eerily along the wall. I like to think I might have inspired his later career in Rocky Horror and other shows 🙂