Fraser MacDonald Colman was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He represented the electorates of Petone from 1967 to 1978, and then when Petone was renamed, Pencarrow from 1978 to 1987, when he retired. He was the cabinet minister chosen to represent New Zealand in 1973 on its warships during their protest against the nuclear weapons testing carried out by France.
Early life and family
Colman was born in Wellington on 23 February 1925, one of five children of Kenneth and Emily Colman. He attended primary school in Wellington before his family moved to Paraparaumu, where he went to Horowhenua College. Upon leaving school he found employment as a boilermaker at the firm of William Cables; he worked in that profession for 13 years. He soon became active in the union movement, becoming a shop steward. He joined the Labour party, organising and distributing pamphlets and writing for the Labour Party newspaper, The Southern Cross. In 1958, Colman married Noeline Jean Allen, after first meeting her in 1954, and the couple went on to have four children. They moved to Wainuiomata in 1959, where they built a home and lived the remainder of their life.
Political career
He served as campaign manager for Henry May in the electorate in. In 1955 he became assistant general secretary of the Labour Party. He held the position until he was persuaded to stand for Labour in the by-election for the electorate in 1967 following the death in office of Mick Moohan, its existing MP. He was elected in the 15 April. He held Petone until it was abolished in 1978. He represented the electorate, which replaced Petone, from 1978 to 1987.
In 1973, the government decided to dispatch a Royal New Zealand Navy frigate to protest against French nuclear testing on Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific. It was decided that a cabinet minister should accompany the frigate to demonstrate the seriousness of the New Zealand government's position. Norman Kirk put all the Cabinet ministers' names into a hat and drew out the name of Colman. He departed from Auckland on 25 June aboard the Otago, which reached Mururoa a month later where he witnessed the first atmospheric test. Colman transferred to the Canterbury when it arrived to relieve the Otago on 25 July, from which he witnessed the second French atmospheric test.
Colman retired from Parliament at the 1987 election. He was replaced in Pencarrow by Sonja Davies. He was subsequently appointed as chairman of the New Zealand Fire Service Council for a three-year term. Colman had a stroke in 1991. Another stroke in 1999 removed his ability to speak. He died on 11 April 2008, and was survived by his wife and three of their four daughters.
