Mason Affair

Between the 1963 and 1966 elections the Labour Party, first under leader Arnold Nordmeyer and particularly under his successor Norman Kirk, were increasingly conscious of the ageing members in the parliamentary caucus.

[1] The party newspaper The Statesman published editorials calling for retirements stating that the frontbenches should be occupied by the 'leaders of today and tomorrow, not yesterday' and should not be 'the final resting places for senior members either on the basis of self-interest or length of service'.

He relied on local-body politicians, such as the ex-Mayor of New Lynn, Stan Rickards, to do much of his constituency work for him yet, despite this, the local party executive were solidly loyal to Mason.

[2][5] Eventually, following pressure from Labour's head office, the executive reopened nominations for the New Lynn seat stating (disingenuously) that Mason was retiring.

Kirk's biographer David Grant stating that the affair "... was great material for antagonistic newspaper editors and the National politicians, who had a field day criticising Labour's apparently undemocratic decision-making processes and dysfunctionality.

This contrasted starkly from the more courteous and considerate tributes that Mason received from the other side of the house, particularly from Prime Minister Keith Holyoake and National MP Ernest Aderman.