Hugh Watt

Biography

Early life

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, where his headmaster was Sir Leslie Munro's father.

Watt attended Seddon Memorial Technical College, where he studied engineering and also played senior grade rugby for the Tech Old Boys' 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. 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. He continued to run the business (even while a minister) until 1969, when he accepted a doctor's advice to lessen his workload. 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).

Watt was married twice: first to Alice Merry Fowke from 1935 to 1965, when they divorced; and then to Irene Frances Ray from 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 where Australian Prime Minister John Curtin, of whom Watt was a great admirer, once lived.

Political career

Watt was the chairman of the Onehunga Labour Representation Committee and a member of the Labour Party's national executive. He stood unsuccessfully for Labour in Remuera in 1949 and in Parnell in 1951. 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". 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 districts. He was then successful in winning the parliamentary seat of Onehunga in a 1953 by-election after the death of Arthur Osborne, and held it until 1975.

Watt was first appointed as a minister in the Second Labour Government led by Walter Nash; he was Minister of Works from 1957 to 1960, and additionally, Minister of Electricity from 1958 until 1960. He resigned from the Auckland Harbour Board in December 1957 after his appointment to the cabinet. As Minister of Works, he quickly became known for both his vitality and his genial style of inspecting infrastructure sites. During the Second Labour 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.

In January 1960 Watt signed an agreement with Consolidated Zinc to establish an aluminium smelter to be built in Southland to make aluminium out of alumina shipped from Australia. The smelter was to be powered by a huge hydro-electric project at Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau. The decision was not without controversy as Watt received many letters of protest warning against damage to the scenery which would be caused by raising the lake levels. The New Zealand Scenery Preservation Society sent a deputation to meet with Nash and Watt. Watt quoted an assurance made by the company that the engineering works would be constructed so as to enhance the scenic effects, nor would the lake levels be raised so high as to endanger the town of Te Anau. Labour's manifesto at the 1957 election pledged industrialisation and the smelter was seen as following this pledge. Industrialisation was emphasised even more in Labour's manifesto at the 1960 election which Labour was to lose ending his role as a minister.

Diplomatic career

Watt was appointed New Zealand's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom effective from 22 March 1975 for three years. Controversially, he stayed on as a Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister. In June 1975, Watt was asked if he was about to resign as an MP. He stated that:

If I were to resign now as a Member of Parliament [for Onehunga] it would mean that I would lose my Cabinet status and the unique position that I have as High Commissioner with Executive Council rank that gives me access to British Government Ministers."

Upon arriving in London he encountered low staff morale due to a recent workplace restructuring. Watt made it a priority to boost confidence with employees by going out of his way to engage with people in person, gather groups to make decisions collectively and by attending all the staff training sessions himself. He was also shocked at how high a workload the post of high commissioner had, finding himself doing almost the same amount of work as he was when he was a minister. He also worked to advocate for New Zealand's trade interests in Britain, which were severely impacted by Britain's joining the European Communities (EC). During the British referendum (held to gauge support for continued EC membership) Watt was invited to speak at about 100 different gatherings during this period. When discussing the topic with Londoners he found there was still much demand for New Zealand products particularly lamb and butter.

Following the election of the Third National Government Watt was pressured to resign by new Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, it was widely speculated that his recall was purely for political reasons. In the midst of the dispute he warmly welcomed Brian Talboys, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to London reinforcing his considerate, genial reputation. During his brief time at the High Commission he did a great deal to boost the morale of the staff and a senior official there told media that "His [Watt's] politics and mine do not coincide, but that has nothing to do with the job. He is one of the best high commissioners we have had here for many years". His most important diplomatic task while in London was relaying to Wellington the seriousness of New Zealand's 1976 rugby tour of South Africa and its potential impact on New Zealand's participation in the upcoming Olympic Games in Montreal. His confidential cables cautioned that the All Black tour was perceived abroad as giving tacit support to the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Later life and death

In late 1977, after witnessing the Moyle Affair and generally depreciating state of politics under Muldoon, Watt put himself forward as a nominee for Onehunga once again stating that he felt that a man of his experience could guide MPs in conduct. Watt had intended to win the nomination again and only serve one term, using the time to lay the groundwork for Mike Moore, his friend and former MP for Eden, to succeed him. Watt had previously encouraged Moore to seek the Onehunga nomination when he retired in 1975, even offering to return from London to campaign on his behalf, but Moore declined. Watt later withdrew his nomination.

Watt gave up his position with ACC when his term ended in June 1979, opting not to renew it for another triennium. His health began to decline rapidly soon after his retirement and he was admitted to Auckland's Green Lane Hospital in October 1979 for surgery to drain a fluid buildup around his lungs. In December 1979 he was made a life member of the Labour Party with party president Jim Anderton visiting Watt in hospital to bestow him with the award.

Watt died on 4 February 1980 in Green Lane Hospital after a long illness, aged 67 years. He was survived by his wife, ex-wife and four children. His first wife Alice died in 1993 and his second wife Frances died in 2013.

Honours and commemorations

Hugh Watt Drive, a road running along the Onehunga waterfront in Auckland, was named to commemorate Watt. The Labour Party purchased a property on Grey Street in Onehunga which became the headquarters of the local Labour Party and named Hugh Watt Hall in his honour. The hall was managed by the Onehunga Labour Society which was later renamed the Hugh Watt Society also in his honour.