Chris Laidlaw

Chris Laidlaw

Full name	Christopher Robert Laidlaw
Date of birth	16 November 1943
Place of birth	Dunedin, New Zealand
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	78 kg (172 lb)
School	King's High School
University	University of Otago
Notable relative(s)	Sue Kedgley (sister-in-law)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Halfback
New Zealand No.	641
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
1962-66 1969	Otago University Oxford University
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1962–67 1968	Otago Canterbury	50 1
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1963–70	New Zealand	20	(12)
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wellington Central In office 1992 – 1993 Preceded by Fran Wilde Succeeded by (seat abolished) Personal details Political party Labour

Christopher Robert Laidlaw (born 16 November 1943) is a New Zealand politician and former rugby union player, Rhodes Scholar, public servant, diplomat and radio host.

Early life

Laidlaw was born in Dunedin and schooled at King's High School from 1957 to 1961, where he played in the first rugby team.^[1]

Laidlaw attended Otago University from 1962 to 1966, after which he went overseas with the All Blacks. In 1969 he took up his Rhodes Scholarship at Merton College, Oxford.

Rugby union career

Described as a rugby prodigy, Laidlaw was immediately selected for the University A side in 1962 upon leaving school. Such was the impact of his play that during the same year he played for an Otago representative side, for a South Island regional side, and for New Zealand Universities. Personal training sessions with former All Black Charlie Saxton endowed Laidlaw with "a marvellous pass and an accurate kick from forward base".^[1]

Not yet 20, Laidlaw made his debut for the All Blacks in 1963 on their tour of Britain and France. Although chosen as reserve to the incumbent half-back and vice-captain, Kevin Briscoe, Laidlaw's performances catapulted him into selection for a test against France and a match against the Barbarians.^[1]

In all, Laidlaw played 57 matches for the All Blacks, including 20 internationals. He captained the team on three occasions: a test against Australia in 1969 and games against Victoria and South-West Africa in 1969 and 1970, respectively.

Civil servant

In 1972, Laidlaw joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and served as Assistant to Commonwealth Secretary-General Sonny Ramphal who he described in 1999 as "far and away the most brilliant man I have ever met." (Rights of passage : beyond the New Zealand identity crisis : Laidlaw, Chris, Auckland, N.Z. : Hodder Moa Beckett, 1999. p. 80)

In 1977 at during a diplomatic cocktail party in New York Laidlaw says the then NZ Prime Minister Robert Muldoon drunkenly harassed him, jabbing his finger in Laidlaw's chest. Muldoon was angry about Laidlaw's public comments criticising apartheid. Laidlaw says he grabbed Muldoon by the lapels and propelled him against the wall saying something like "If you ever touch me again I'll knock your teeth out." Muldoon glared at him, turned on his heel and walked out. (Rights of passage: beyond the New Zealand identity crisis: Laidlaw, Chris, Auckland, N.Z.: Hodder Moa Beckett, 1999. p. 103)

In 1986, Laidlaw became New Zealand's first resident High Commissioner to Harare, representing New Zealand's interests throughout Africa. In 1989, Laidlaw was appointed Race Relations Conciliator.

Political career

Member of Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1992–1993	43rd	Wellington Central		Labour

Laidlaw won the Wellington Central by-election in 1992, following the election of Fran Wilde to the Wellington mayoralty. He failed to win re-election (to the renamed Wellington-Karori electorate) in the 1993 General election, losing to National's Pauline Gardiner.

Laidlaw is a supporter of a New Zealand republic. In 1997 he published remarks allegedly made to him by Prince Charles during his visit of that year, which appeared to show the Prince implicitly supports a New Zealand republic. Laidlaw later published the claim in his book Rights of Passage, and again in his New Zealand Herald column in March 2005, during Prince Charles' visit. No comment was made by the Prince as to the veracity of the comments.

Wellington regional councillor

Laidlaw is a councillor and chair of the Wellington Regional Council, representing the Wellington constituency. He was elected at the New Zealand local elections, 2007 with 24,757 votes, the greatest number of votes for any candidate that year.^[2] He was re-elected in 2010 with 24,838 votes,^[3] in 2013 and in 2016. He succeeded Fran Wilde as Chair of the Regional Council in 2015 and was re-elected as Chair in 2016.^[4]

Broadcasting

Laidlaw hosted Radio New Zealand National's Sunday Morning programme from 2000 to 2013.^[5]

Family

Laidlaw is married to prominent New Zealand art curator Helen Kedgley, and is a brother-in-law of former Green MP Sue Kedgley. He has two children - Anais Kedgley Laidlaw and Jackson Kedgley Laidlaw.

See also

• New Zealand Human Rights Commission

References

1. "Chris Laidlaw". New Zealand Rugby Museum. Rugbymuseum.co.nz. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
2. "Election results 2007". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 15 October 2007. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
3. "2010 Results » Greater Wellington Regional Council". Greater Wellington Regional Council. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
4. "Chris Laidlaw chosen as chairman of Greater Wellington Regional Council". Dominion Post. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
5. "Chris Laidlaw". Radio New Zealand National. 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.

External links

• University of Otago alumnus profile
• NZ Rugby Museum profile (archived)
• A Civilising Mission; Otago University
• New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee Rhodes Scholars (archived)
• Chris Laidlaw at AllBlacks.com
• Chris Laidlaw Says Goodbye