Anderton: His Life and Times

Abstract

David Grant’s life and times study of Jim Anderton raises fundamental questions about the nature of the New Zealand Labour Party that he first explored in his study of “Big Norm”.  Central to both biographies is the issue of leadership and its connection to the collectivist notions that have underpinned the Labour Party since its inception.  From Harry Holland, a leader who did not believe in leadership, to the arrival of the eloquent David Lange (1983− 1989) this collectivist ethos remained dominant if somewhat eroded by the experience of office and underlying social change.