Background
Born in Auckland on 7 June 1924, Tizard was the son of Jessie May Tizard (née Phillips} and Henry James Tizard.
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Bob Tizard
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Education
He was educated at Meadowbank School and Auckland Grammar School, and earned a university scholarship in 1940. After the war, Tizard studied at Auckland University College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1948 and a Master of Arts in 1950.
Career
He served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Health and Minister of Defence. In March 1943 he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A navigator, he was commissioned as a pilot officer in February 1945, and promoted to flying officer in August 1945.
His Master of Arts thesis was entitled Mr Higher Education Holland"s Blueprint for New Zealand and the World, Harry Holland having been the first leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.
While at university, Tizard met future wife Catherine Maclean, while he was president of the Auckland University Students Association. On their second date Tizard told Maclean he was "going into politics.
And I"m going to marry you." They married in 1951, and Tizard unsuccessfully ran for the Remuera electorate later that year at the general election and again at the 1954 general election. He was finally successful at the 1957 election, winning in Tamaki, but was defeated three years later by Robert Muldoon.
They moved in 1957 to Glendowie in the Tamaki electorate.
The couple divorced in 1980. Catherine Tizard was Mayor of Auckland from 1983-1990 and Governor-General of New Zealand from 1990 to 1996. Tizard later married Mary Nacey, with whom he had a son, Joe.
They subsequently divorced.
The couple had been engaged during World World War World War II He returned to parliament in a 1963 by-election in the Otahuhu electorate, but in the 1963 general election was elected Member of Parliament for Pakuranga. In 1972 he became Member of Parliament for Otahuhu again.
In 1984 he became Member of Parliament for Panmure, until he retired in 1990. Cabinet minister
Tizard was appointed as Minister of Health when the Kirk Labour Government was elected in 1972.
Following the death of Kirk in 1974, he became Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, replacing Bill Rowling (who the caucus elected Prime Minister) in both roles.
As Minister of Finance, Tizard"s budget introduced a number of progressive measures, such as an expansion of spending on education which provided a standard bursary for all students in tertiary studies. In the Lange Government he held the Defence portfolio as well as the Science and Technology portfolio. In 2009, at the age of 85, Bob Tizard was asked to speak, as a historian, on aspects of World World War II at a dinner held to honour Captain Jack Lyon, a New Zealand war hero and former Labour Party An mp3 recording of the 25 minute speech is available here.
In 2007 Tizard announced his candidacy for the Auckland District Health Board.
He was elected to the board, at the age of 83. Bob Tizard died in Auckland on 28 January 2016, aged 91.
Achievements
Membership
He is the father of former Consumer Affairs minister Judith Tizard, who succeeded her father as the for Panmure in 1990. Tizard was the for Tamaki from 1957 to 1960, when he was defeated by National"s Robert Muldoon.
