James Kenneth McLay (born 21 February 1945), generally known as Jim McLay, is a former New Zealand politician. He was leader of the National Party for a short time, but was never Prime Minister. Jump to: navigation, search February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Current National Party logo The New Zealand National Party currently forms the second-largest (in terms of seats) political party in the New Zealand Parliament, and thus functions as the core of the Opposition. ... The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealands head of government and is the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand. ...

McLay was born in Devonport, Auckland. He was educated at King's College, Auckland and Auckland University, gaining a law degree in 1967. He worked as a lawyer for some time, and also became involved in a number of law associations. McLay had joined the National Party in 1963, and held a number of prominent positions within the party's Auckland branch. He also served on the party's national council. In the 1975 elections, he stood as the National Party's candidate for the Birkenhead electorate, and managed to defeat the incumbent Labour MP, Norman King. Devonport as viewed from Mt Victoria. ... Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Kings College is an independent secondary school in 1896 in the Mangere suburb of Southern Auckland. ... The University of Auckland is New Zealands largest research-based university by student numbers. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on the type of fish called Lawyer, see the article on Burbot. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The 1975 New Zealand general election was the first election in New Zealand where all permanent residents of New Zealand were eligible to vote, although only citizens were able to be elected. ...

In Parliament, McLay was known as one of the more liberal members of the National Party, and had a particular focus on reforming laws that related to women's rights. In 1978, Prime Minister Robert Muldoon appointed McLay to the posts of Attorney General and Minister of Justice. In early 1984, following the retirement of Duncan MacIntyre, McLay became deputy leader of the National Party, and thus Deputy Prime Minister. 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... The Right Honourable Sir Robert David (Rob) Muldoon KCMG CH (25 September 1921–5 August 1992) served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. ... The Attorney-General is an political office in New Zealand. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power. ...

When National lost the 1984 election, there was widespread desire in the party for a leadership change. This desire came mainly from the younger and less conservative wing of the party, which saw Robert Muldoon as representing an era that had already passed. Muldoon, however, refused to leave the position voluntarily, thereby forcing a direct leadership challenge. The two main candidates in the leadership race (apart from Muldoon himself) were Jim McLay and Jim Bolger. McLay, in distinct contrast to Muldoon, promoted free market economic policies and a relatively liberal social outlook. Bolger, meanwhile, was seen as a more traditionalist and pragmatic candidate, although he was not so conservative as Muldoon. McLay won the caucus vote with slightly over half the votes. The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... The Right Honourable James Brendan Jim Bolger, ONZ, (born 31 May 1935) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy...

McLay's first major challenge was Muldoon himself. On his defeat, Muldoon refused to accept any portfolios offered him, thereby becoming a backbencher. McLay's attempts to give Muldoon an "elder statesman" role within the party were rebuffed, with Muldoon insisting on an active role. The relationship between McLay and Muldoon deteriorated further as McLay outlined a major departure from Muldoon's interventionist economic policies. Muldoon's hostility was to prove a major problem for McLay's leadership, and undermined all attempts to promote unity within the party. Later, when Muldoon made a strong public criticism of the entire party leadership, Muldoon (along with loyalist Merv Wellington) were demoted to the lowest ranking within the National caucus. A backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislature who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition. ... Economic interventionism is a term used to describe activity undertaken by a central government to affect a countrys economy in an attempt to increase economic growth and/or standards of living. ...

Muldoon, apparently realising that there was little chance of him regaining the leadership, threw his support behind Jim Bolger, who remained opposed to McLay. There was considerable media speculation that McLay would be deposed before the end of 1985. The rumoured challenge, however, failed to eventuate, and McLay remained leader. In early 1986, however, McLay made a fatal mistake - in an attempt to "rejuvenate" the party's upper ranks, he demoted George Gair and Bill Birch, both of whom were highly respected for their long service. Gair and Birch, two of National's most experienced politicians, quickly allied themselves with Jim Bolger. From this point, McLay's fall was almost guaranteed. On 26 March, Gair, Birch, and party whip Don McKinnon presented McLay with a letter signed by a majority of MPs asking him to step aside. Jim Bolger received a clear majority in the resulting caucus vote, ending McLay's leadership of the National Party. 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Frederick Gair (13 October 1926) was a New Zealand politician. ... Sir William Francis Birch (born 9 April New Zealand politician. ... Jump to: navigation, search March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... The Right Honourable Donald Charles McKinnon (born February 27, 1939) is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. ...

McLay retired from Parliament at the 1987 election. Between 1994 and 2002 he was the New Zealand representative on the International Whaling Commission. He is currently the chairman of the Council for Infrastructure Development, an independent organization which lobbies in favour of public-private partnerships in transport and electricity generation. The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling on December 2, 1946 with a headquarters in Cambridge, England. ... Public-private partnership (PPP) is a variation of privatization in which elements of a service previously run solely by the public sector are provided through a partnership between the government and one or more private sector companies. ...