Background
He was born in 1884 in Edinburgh and received his education in West Calder, West Lothian, Scotland.
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Robert McKeen
Edit ProfileCareer
He was Speaker of the House of Representatives. In Scotland, he was active in the labour movement, and worked as a grocer"s assistant in a co-operative store. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1909, and worked in coal mines on the West Coast before moving to Wellington, and a grocery store.
He was a union official
In the 1919 election, McKeen organised the campaign of the Labour Party in Wellington. He first stood for the House of Representatives in the 1922 election and was successful.
McKeen was Labour"s junior whip in 1935 and 1936, and its senior whip in 1937 and 1938. He was Chairman of Committees from 1939 to 1946.
Subsequent to that, he was the twelfth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1947 to 1950.
He was on the Wellington City Council for 18 years, and the Wellington Harbour Board for nine years. Bob Semple and McKeen were the only Labour city councillors during 1927–1929, and they were also parliamentary colleagues. They were close friends, and retired from parliament at the same time.
McKeen stood for the Wellington mayoralty in 1941, but was defeated by the incumbent, Thomas Hislop.
He was Mayor of Otaki in the 1950s. In 1935, McKeen was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Meda
He died in Otaki on 5 August 1974 and is buried at the Kelvin Grove Cemetery in Palmerston North.
Achievements
Membership
He was the Member of Parliament for Wellington South from 1922 to 1946, then Island Bay from 1946 to 1954, when he retired.
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Born
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Died
August 6, 1974 (aged 90) -
Nationality
New Zealand -
Political Party
New Zealand Labour Party
Awards
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Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Order of St Michael and St George; King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later King George IV, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, King George III.The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later King George IV, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, King George III.