Bill Laney

William Ross Laney (4 May 1913 – 7 August 1998) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament representing the Labour Party, and Mayor of Oamaru.

Bill Laney
Laney in 1974
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Oamaru
In office 25 November 1972 – 29 November 1975
Preceded by	Allan Dick
Succeeded by	Jonathan Elworthy
Personal details
Born	William Ross Laney 4 May 1913 Weston, New Zealand
Died	7 August 1998 Christchurch, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Profession	Teacher

Biography

Early life and career

Laney was born in 1913 in Weston.^[1] He graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in 1937.^[2] He was also a New Zealand Universities rugby and cricket blue and later Otago rugby captain. Laney then became a teacher of agriculture at Waitaki Boys' High School.^[3]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1972–1975	37th	Oamaru			Labour

Laney's political career began in 1951 when he was elected as a member of the Oamaru Borough Council in a by-election.^[4] He was then Mayor of Oamaru for 18 years from 1956 to 1974. From 1945 until 1956 he was an executive member of the Oamaru branch of the National Party but he resigned to join the Labour Party in order to contest the mayoralty. His resignation did not endear him to the local National Party faithful.^[3] This was compounded by the fact that the incumbent mayor he defeated, Michael Francis Edward Cooney, was a prominent member of the local National Party.^[5]

Laney contested the Oamaru electorate in the 1972 election, and defeated the incumbent, National's Allan Dick by a 390 votes majority.^[6] At the next election in 1975, he was in turn defeated by National's Jonathan Elworthy.^[7] Laney was described as a man of integrity not prepared to compromise his principles and opposed the influence liquor industry lobbyists had over politicians during his time as an MP.^[8]

After losing his seat in Parliament Laney stood for the Oamaru mayoralty once again at the 1977 local elections, but was beaten by the deputy mayor Reginald James Denny by 1,415 votes.^[9] A year later at the 1978 election, he stood for Labour in Waitaki (Oamaru having been abolished) where he again finished runner-up to Elworthy.

Later life and death

In 1990 he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.^[10]

Laney died on 7 August 1998 in Christchurch.^[3]