Eddie Isbey


Edward Emanuel Isbey was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life and career

Isbey was born in London in 1917, the son of Alec Isbey a tailor who immigrated from Lithuania. He received his education in London and gained a diploma in industrial management. During World War II, he served in the Merchant Navy. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1947.
Isbey was a factory manager from 1948 to 1953, then went into dairy farming, before working on the waterfront. He was the president of the New Zealand Watersiders Union for 11 years from 1959 to 1970, and the Auckland president for 12 years from 1956 to 1967. As president he led the Auckland Watersiders to affiliate with the Labour Party. In 1963 the union voted with a two-to-one majority to formally affiliate via a postal ballot.
He was also the vice-president of New Zealand Rugby League and an administrator of several theatres in Auckland including the board of the Mercury Theatre and the Auckland Theatre Trust.

Political career

He represented the electorates of Grey Lynn from to 1978, and then Papatoetoe from to 1987, when he retired. He was replaced in the Papatoetoe electorate by Ross Robertson. In the lead up to the Labour leader Norman Kirk sent Isbey to Tokoroa to pacify striking timber workers and prevent the issue interfering with the election. The next year he was elected vice-president of the Labour Party. His win was something of a surprise with Stan Rodger, President of the Public Service Association, seen as the front-runner. Other aspirants were Ron Barclay, Roger Drayton, Jonathan Hunt, Gerald O'Brien and Trevor Young.
During the Third Labour Government he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Labour, Minister of Civil Aviation & Meteorological Services and Minister of Transport from 1973 to 1974 by Norman Kirk. When Bill Rowling became Prime Minister he appointed Isbey Under-Secretary to the Minister of Railways.
When Labour was in opposition Isbey was shadow minister for Labour, Immigration, the Arts and Sport and Recreation. He was one of the earliest proponents of nuclear-free legislation. He introduced a bill to make New Zealand nuclear-free in 1976 but it was voted down by the Muldoon Government.
During the Fourth Labour Government he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Labour, Minister of Employment and Minister of Immigration by David Lange.

Later life and death

In the 1988 New Year Honours, Isbey was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.
Isbey died in Auckland on 25 July 1995 aged 77.

Personal life

On 9 June 1953, he married Annette Constance Graham, the daughter of Walter Graham. They had two sons and one daughter. His pastimes included theatre, boats, reading, art, watching football, and boxing. In 1978, he lived in Herne Bay, Auckland.
His brother Dave Isbey was likewise a unionist and Labour politician. He crewed a whaling ship to Antarctica in 1939 before joining Merchant Navy during World War II. After the war he came to New Zealand and got job with Auckland Harbour Board. He was president of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee and stood twice for the Auckland City Council in 1959 and 1962, but was unsuccessful.