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Bob Jones (businessman)

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Sir Robert Jones
Born
Robert Edward Jones

(1939-11-24)24 November 1939
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Died2 May 2025(2025-05-02) (aged 85)
Wellington, New Zealand
Occupation
  • Property investor

  • author
  • politician
Political party
Children9
Relatives

Sir Robert Edward Jones (24 November 1939 – 2 May 2025) was a New Zealand property investor, author and politician.[1]

Early life and education

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Jones was born in Lower Hutt on 24 November 1939, the son of Edward L. Jones.[2][3] He was the older brother of author Lloyd Jones.[4]

Growing up in a Lower Hutt state housing suburb, Jones attended Naenae College from 1953 to 1957. He was one of the 200 foundation pupils, and one of the ten who stayed to the sixth form (most pupils left as soon as they turned 15 to work) where he recalled a brilliant history teacher, Guy Bliss.[5][6]

He went on to attend Victoria University of Wellington, where he earned a blue in boxing, won the New Zealand Universities lightweight boxing title in 1957,[7] and contributed to a boxing column in the university's newspaper Salient.[2][8] He remained a fan of boxing and sometimes commented on TV on big matches.[8]

Business career

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Jones earned his wealth investing in commercial property through his company Robt. Jones Holdings Ltd. His net worth was $550 million according to the 2013 NBR rich list, and $600 million a year later.[9]

Political career

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In 1977, Jones supported drag queen Carmen's campaign for the Wellington mayoralty.[10]

Jones formed the short-lived libertarian New Zealand Party in 1983, just before Robert Muldoon's snap 1984 election.[11][12] Jones explicitly stated his disgust that the supposedly pro-free-enterprise National Party had implemented socialist policies like price and wage freezes, and a top tax rate of 66%. His party acted as a spoiler, helping deliver the government to the Labour Party. Jones disbanded his party after the election, since Labour implemented many of his policies in their free market reforms. He and Muldoon had a legal feud when Muldoon unsuccessfully sued Jones for defamation. Jones still respected Muldoon, and chaired the farewell dinner for Muldoon's retirement from Parliament.[13]

In the 1984 election, Jones challenged sitting cabinet minister Hugh Templeton for the Ohariu seat. Templeton distributed a speech to journalists, which included: "Mr Jones despises... bureaucrats, civil servants, politicians, women, Jews and professionals...".[14] Jones successfully sued Templeton for defamation.[15] Templeton conceded that Jones despising Jews was untrue, but argued multiple defences including qualified privilege; all were rejected by the court, which found in Jones' favour. Templeton v Jones became an important precedent in defamation law.[16] In the election, Jones received 28.97% of the electoral vote, and Templeton lost his seat to Labour candidate Peter Dunne, the future United Future leader.[17]

Public profile

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In 1985, Jones infamously punched TVNZ reporter Rod Vaughan on camera, when the journalist's helicopter disrupted him fishing in a remote valley in Taupō.[18][19][20][21] Jones was convicted of four charges of assault and fined $1,000;[22] Jones asked the judge if he could pay $2,000 to do it again.[21]

Jones attempted to remove the Fijian Embassy from one of his properties during the time of the 1987 Fijian coup and succeeded two years later.[23]

In 2015, Jones was removed from an Air New Zealand flight for failing to follow crew instructions;[24] Jones' company subsequently bought a jet for Jones and other company executives to use domestically.[25]

In 2018, Jones sued filmmaker Renae Maihi for defamation after she presented a 90,000 signature petition to NZ Parliament calling for his knighthood to be revoked.[26][27] The petition objected to comments Jones had written for the National Business Review; in one column, Jones suggested that Waitangi Day should be replaced by a Māori Gratitude Day, a suggestion he claimed was satirical.[28][26] The defamation trial was set for two weeks beginning in February 2020;[29] Jones withdrew the case after five days.[30]

Personal life and death

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Jones was known for keeping his family life private. He was married several times and had nine children, including daughters Frances and Amelia, and son Chris.[31][32] He said he had "never understood monogamy" and described himself as "not a conventional" father.[31]

Jones died after a brief illness in Wellington, on 2 May 2025, at the age of 85.[33][34]

Honours and awards

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Jones was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to business management and the community.[35] The following year, he received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[36]

Bibliography

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Novels

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  • The Permit (1984)
  • Full Circle (2000)
  • Ogg (2002)
  • True Facts (2003)
  • Degrees for Everyone (2004)
  • Four Comic Novellas (2020)

Essay collections

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  • Wimp Walloping (1989)
  • Prancing Pavonine Charlatans (1990)
  • Punch Lines (1991)
  • A Year of It (1992)
  • Wowser Whacking (1993)
  • No Punches Pulled The Best of Bob Jones (2014)

Non fiction

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  • New Zealand's Boxing Yearbook (1972 and 1973)
  • Jones on Property (1977)
  • New Zealand the Way I Want It (1978)
  • Travelling (1980)
  • Letters (1982)
  • '80s Letters (1990)
  • Prosperity Denied (1996)
  • Memories of Muldoon (1997)
  • My Property World (2005)
  • Jones on Management (2007)
  • Fighting Talk: Boxing and the Modern Lexicon (2013)

References

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  1. ^ "'Pugnacious' Bob Jones remembered as a complex, colourful character". Stuff. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b Traue, J. E., ed. (1978). Who's Who in New Zealand (11th ed.). Wellington: Reed. p. 204. ISBN 0-589-01113-8.
  3. ^ "Births". Evening Post. Vol. 128, no. 129. 28 November 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Bob and Lloyd Jones". The Sunday Star-Times. 30 September 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  5. ^ New Zealand Listener; 23 December 2017 page 18: "The Best Advice I ever got"
  6. ^ "Ideas for 28 March 2010: Sir Robert Jones". RNZ. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  7. ^ reporters, Staff. "Bob Jones dies aged 85 after a colourful life". businessdesk.co.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  8. ^ a b Kilgallon, Steve (18 August 2013). "Boxing clever with Bob Jones". The Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Jones Sir Robert". National Business Review. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  10. ^ O'Neil, Andrea (18 June 2015). "Carmen's scandalous run for Wellington mayor − 150 years of news". Stuff. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  11. ^ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "One-man band". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Sir Bob Jones, the man who dominated the skyline". www.thepost.co.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Muldoon retirement farewell dinner". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  14. ^ Harwood, Roger Morris (1985). "Defamation in the political arena : an extended casenote on Templeton v. Jones [1984] N.Z.L.R. 448".
  15. ^ Templeton v. Jones [1984] 1 NZLR 448
  16. ^ "Businessman and politician Sir Bob Jones dead at 85". RNZ. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  17. ^ Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
  18. ^ "Private rights, public screenings". The Sunday Star-Times. 1 January 2009. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  19. ^ Film Archive − 6:30 News, TVNZ, 9/7/1985
  20. ^ Film Archive − 6:30 News, TVNZ, 10/7/1985
  21. ^ a b NZ On Screen: Eyewitness News − Bob Jones punches reporter Rod Vaughan Archived 16 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, nzonscreen.com; accessed 24 April 2016.
  22. ^ Dewes, Haydon (15 April 2003). "No bad blood for Jones, reporter". The Dominion Post. p. 3.
  23. ^ "Fiji embassy surrenders to Sir Rob". National Library of New Zealand. 13 December 1989. Retrieved 27 May 2015.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "Marvelly witnesses Sir Bob Jones escorted off plane". Rotorua Daily Post. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  25. ^ "Sir Bob Jones buys private jet". Stuff. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  26. ^ a b "Sir Bob Jones threatens to sue woman who started petition". Radio New Zealand. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  27. ^ "The Bob Jones knighthood petition has been delivered. Will anyone listen?". The Spin Off. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  28. ^ "Media gaffes part 2 and flights of fancy". Sir Bob Jones. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  29. ^ "Date set for Sir Bob Jones' defamation trial against filmmaker". Radio New Zealand. 17 January 2020.
  30. ^ "Sir Bob Jones withdraws defamation case against filmmaker Renae Maihi". RNZ. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  31. ^ a b "Twelve Questions: Sir Bob Jones". The New Zealand Herald. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  32. ^ "Talking about that young Jones boy". Stuff (company). 18 February 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  33. ^ Morris, Deborah (2 May 2025). "Property magnate Sir Bob Jones dies". The Post – via Stuff.
  34. ^ "Property magnate Sir Bob Jones dies". The Post. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  35. ^ "No. 51774". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 17 June 1989. p. 31.
  36. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 207. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
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