Rob Storey Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Rob Storey
Order1:16th Minister of Transport
Term Start1:2 November 1990
Term End1:29 November 1993
Predecessor1:Bill Jeffries
Successor1:Maurice Williamson
Constituency Mp5:Waikato
Parliament5:New Zealand
Term Start5:1984
Term End5:1996
Predecessor5:Simon Upton
Successor5:Constituency abolished
Birth Name:William Robson Storey
Birth Date:16 July 1936
Death Place:Te Awamutu, New Zealand
Party:National
Spouse:Lorraine Storey
Occupation:Farmer

William Robson Storey (16 July 1936 – 2 August 2019), generally known as Rob Storey, was a New Zealand politician.

Early life and career

Before entering politics, Storey was a farmer at Waiterimu in the Waikato, and was the president of Federated Farmers from 1981 to 1984. He was educated at Wesley College, Auckland.

Member of Parliament

Storey was elected MP for Waikato in the 1984 election, representing the National Party. He retained that seat until his retirement at the 1996 election.

Storey was appointed a minister in the first term of the Fourth National Government. Between 1990 and 1993, he held office principally as Minister of Transport and also served as Minister of Statistics (until October 1991), Minister for the Environment (from October 1991), Minister of Lands, Minister of Survey and Land Information and Minister in Charge of the Valuation Department.[1] He was not reappointed a minister after the 1993 election and retired three years later. One of his achievements as Minister of Transport was overseeing the merger of the Ministry of Transport's traffic enforcement fleet into the New Zealand Police in 1993.[2] Under Storey, compulsory bicycle helmet wearing legislation was introduced on 1 January 1994.[3]

Honours

In the 2007 New Year Honours, Storey was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.[4] His wife, Lorraine, had received the same honour, for community service, in the 1997 New Year Honours.[5]

Death

Storey died in Te Awamutu on 2 August 2019, after 59 years of marriage.[6] His wife, Lorraine, died in Hamilton on 6 January 2024.[7]

References

The First 50 Years: A History of the New Zealand National Party by Barry Gustafson (1986, Reed Methuen, Auckland)

Notes and References

  1. Book: Wood, G. A. . Ministers and Members in the New Zealand Parliament . 2nd . 1987 . 1996 . University of Otago Press . Dunedin . 1-877133-00-0 . 1–84 .
  2. News: Councils keen to police roads . 22 May 2002 . . 25 October 2011.
  3. News: Rebecca Oaten, aka The Helmet Lady, and her crusade for compulsory bike helmets . 25 January 2024 . . 13 March 2018.
  4. Web site: New Year honours list 2007 . 30 December 2006 . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . 5 August 2019.
  5. Web site: New Year honours list 1997 . 31 December 1996 . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . 9 January 2024.
  6. News: Rob Storey obituary . 5 August 2019 . . 9 January 2024.
  7. News: Lorraine Storey obituary . 9 January 2024 . . 9 January 2024.