Background
He was born in Perth, Western Australia, in 1912, but emigrated to New Zealand with his family when he was a child.
He was born in Perth, Western Australia, in 1912, but emigrated to New Zealand with his family when he was a child.
He attended Seddon Memorial Technical College, where he studied engineering, and established his own engineering business in 1947.
He had been Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972–1974. 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 Clarence Skinner. He stood unsuccessfully for Labour in Remuera in 1949 and in Parnell in 1951.
He retired at the 1975 general election in favour of Frank Rogers.
Watt was first appointed as a minister in the Second Labour Government led by Walter Nash. He was Minister of Works (1957–1960) and Minister of Electricity (1958–1960).
During the Third Labour Government, in the ministry led by Norman Kirk, he was Minister of Labour (1972–1974) and Minister of Works and Development (1972–1974). In the Rowling ministry, he remained the portfolio of Works and Development, and was appointed to the Executive Council without portfolio.
Watt was appointed New Zealand"s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom effective from 22 March 1975 for three years.
In June 1975, Watt was asked if he was about to resign as an Member of Parliament.
He died in 1980 in Auckland"s Greenlane Hospital.
Bill Rowling replaced Kirk as Prime Minister, although the party National Executive and the Federation of Labour preferred Watt.
Controversially, he stayed on as a member of parliament and Cabinet Minister. He stated that: "If I were to resign now as a Member of Parliament 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.".
