Vale, Magista

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, March 10th, 2024 - 5 comments
Categories: labour, uncategorized - Tags:

Respects to the falling of the Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt.

Jonathan Hunt emerged from being a History, English and Latin teacher at Kelston Boys High School, then went pretty much into being selected as the New Lynn Labour candidate and romped home. Back in that era Kelston was surrounded by vast fields of orchards, and New Lynn was a hive of heavy manufacturing. That was my home.

He served the people of New Lynn for 10 electoral terms. He turned that LEC into one of the strongest around. Stalwarts like Don and Noreen Clark built a wonderful network with him. That’s because he was both kind and effective with people and their issues.

He and his electorate team really knew how to run a fully professional and effective electorate office, going into bat for citizens against so many government departments. A really great electorate MP.
He was probably the best Speaker of the House we’ve ever had, and was invaluable to enabling Helen Clark and Michael Cullen to get so much reforming legislation through in their three terms. He knew how to count.

In the Cunliffe electorate years he was always on hand to help out with the big fundraisers. I sure always appreciated good discussions about the Holyoake and Kirk years within him at the New Lynn Friendship Club over so many years.

In the early 2000s it was the combination of Jonathan Hunt as MP and Bob Harvey as Mayor that gave west Auckland the highest political recognition and success it’s ever had. It’s never had a political moment that good since.

Jonathan Hunt gave his all to us.

I was glad to know him and am very happy that Jonathan Hunt gave pretty much his life to public service to Labour, to New Lynn, and to New Zealand.

Great innings sir, great innings.

5 comments on “Vale, Magista ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Stan 1
    10 March 2024 at 3:48 pm

    Hi, just to correct you it's "magister" not "magista". 3 years' Latin at high school.

  2. Tiger Mountain 2
    11 March 2024 at 9:56 am

    Nice piece “guest”. There were glory days out West for sure in the Orchard and Vineyard days and Jonathan Hunt was part of that scene.

    • Anne 2.1
      11 March 2024 at 11:00 am

      Did you take part in the Avondale market gardening venture of the 70s TM? It was run by Mt. Albert and we grew strawberries and some fancy vegetable – its name escapes me now. We slogged our guts out every Sat, and wound up the day with a "wine tasting" session. We made a handsome profit from the proceeds.

      A much simpler time and a lot of fun and camaraderie existed that I don't think will ever be replicated.

      • Tiger Mountain 2.1.1
        11 March 2024 at 12:57 pm

        Not specifically, but used to do the vine yard trail on a Sunday with friends and an old comrade George Jackson was a horticulturist in Avondale.

  3. Antonina 3
    11 March 2024 at 7:04 pm

    Nice to also remember Don and Noreen Clark who were great friends of Jonathan and huge hard workers in the Titirangi and Ne w Lynn electorates

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.