Hugh Watt

Hugh Watt (19 March 1912 – 4 February 1980) was a New Zealand politician who was a Labour member of Parliament and the acting prime minister of New Zealand between 31 August and 6 September 1974, following the death of Prime Minister Norman Kirk.

Watt was born in Perth, Western Australia, in 1912.

His father, William Watt, was a mining engineer and his family emigrated to New Zealand in 1914 when he was two years old, settling in Auckland.

His father lost an arm in Australia and moved back to New Zealand to take up a position as a watchman at the Auckland Harbour Board.

Watt attended Remuera Primary School and his headmaster was Sir Leslie Munro's father.

He attended Seddon Memorial Technical College where he studied engineering and also played senior grade rugby for the Tech Old Boy's club.

He became an apprentice engineer and joined the Engineers' Union of which he was a member for 16 years.

He enjoyed his union membership, but never aspired to hold any office within it.

First to Alice Merry Fowke from 1935 to 1965.

He established his own engineering business in 1947.

He was director of the business, Hugh Watt & Coy Ltd., which operated in both engineering operations and sheet metal working.

At the 1953 local elections he was elected a member of the Auckland Harbour Board (his father's former employer) for the Onehunga, Newmarket and combined district.

Watt was first appointed as a minister in the Second Labour Government led by Walter Nash; he was both Minister of Works from 1957 to 1960 and additionally was Minister of Electricity from 1958 until 1960.

He resigned from the Auckland Harbour Board in December 1957 after his appointment to cabinet.

As Minister of Works he quickly became known for both his vitality and genial style of inspecting infrastructure sites.

During the government he oversaw one of the most constructive and positive periods of public development New Zealand had seen.

He started construction on the Benmore Dam and ensured that when it was completed it was £12 million under the original estimates.

Watt was also the Chairman of the National Roads Board from 1957 to 1960.

He thought his reform of the National Roads Board levy system was his biggest achievement in the government's term and saw a large improvement in urban motorways as a result of diversifying the board members to come from cities as well as rural areas.

Previously, in 1962, he had also reduced his workload by resigning as executive director of the Auckland City Development Association after one year in the role.

He was succeeded by Allan Highet (later a National MP).

He had married twice.

Soon after the government's defeat Watt was speculated as Labour's likely candidate for Mayor of Auckland at the 1962 local elections.

Labour was putting up a full council ticket for the first time in several election cycles and thought that the Labour ticket should include a mayoral candidate as well to assist in publicity.

Watt was already well known as an MP and former minister and thought ideal for the role.

However, Watt ruled himself out stating he felt he could make a greater contribution to the city's development by remaining in national politics and that he wished to do so by serving in the cabinet of the next Labour government.

When Labour was in opposition several previous ministers had either died or retired and Watt soon found himself as one of the party's most experienced MPs. He stood for the position of Deputy Leader in 1962 following the death of Jerry Skinner but was defeated by Fred Hackett.

Following Hackett's own death in 1963 he stood again and was this time elected, narrowly ahead of Norman Kirk.

At 11 years, 4 months and 12 days Watt is Labour's longest-serving deputy leader, first under Arnold Nordmeyer and then under Kirk.

He was divorced and then married Irene Frances Ray in 1968.

He had two sons and two daughters with his first wife.

Watt was Australian-born, like Labour Party founders such as Harry Holland, Michael Joseph Savage, Bob Semple and Paddy Webb and later MPs such as Mabel Howard and Jerry Skinner.

He was born on the same street that Australian Prime Minister John Curtin once lived, whom Watt was a great admirer of.

Watt was the chairman of the Labour Representation Committee and a member of the Labour Party's national executive.

He stood unsuccessfully for Labour in in and in in.

His initial failures were to help his subsequent development as a politician saying "I learned early in my political life that you've got to take the kicks with the congratulations".

He continued to run the business (even while a minister) until 1969 when he accepted a doctor's advice to lessen his workload.

He had been the fifth deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 8 December 1972.

Watt later served as high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

He was then successful in winning the parliamentary seat of in a after the death of Arthur Osborne, and held it to 1975.