Interview with Marie Shroff

Marie Shroff was born in Auckland in 1944. Describes Irish, Scots and English ancestry. Mentions agnosticism. Describes how the family coped after the death of her father. Describes attending Epsom Girls' Grammar School and Auckland University. Gives a detailed outline of her career. Mentions originally working as a research assistant with External Affairs before becoming an NZBC journalist with Gallery and Checkpoint. Describes difficulties as a female journalist getting on air time. Mentions going to Western Samoa with her husband Gordon Shroff who worked with External Affairs. Describes teaching English at Samoa College. Comments on the lifestyle of diplomatic wives. Describes working in the New Zealand Consulate General in New York, returning to New Zealand and work with the State Services Commission (SSC). Mentions loss of grading for spouses of Foreign Affairs staff when overseas and her role in changing this. Recalls working in the UK Civil Service Department when her husband was posted to London, returning to New Zealand and becoming director of the Policy Development Unit and then director of the State Enterprises Branch at SSC. Mentions the role of Dr Mervyn Probine. Describes working with Rod Deane, Roger Douglas and Geoffrey Palmer corporatising government departments. Comments on the role of Treasury and her attitude to changes to the government sector. Mentions Graham Scott. Comments on the treatment of staff by Treasury.

Describes being asked to apply for the position of Secretary to Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council and succeeding Patrick Millen in the role. Describes the two parts of the job as constitutional and running the secretariat. Gives details of the Executive Council and dual responsibility to the Prime Minister and the Governor-General. Comments on the significance of Sir Paul Reeves as first and working class and Maori Governor-General. Recalls a hui in the ballroom at Government House. Discusses problems in administration at Government House and her role in initiating a review under Joan Gillies. Describes the redefinition of the role of Official Secretary and the replacement of Paul Canham by Ken Richardson in the role. Describes the `upstairs downstairs' mentality created by the roles of Official Secretary and Comptroller and the removal of the role of Comptroller. Discusses issues during the 1980s which had constitutional implications for the Governor-General. Mentions the 1984 snap election, conflict between Roger Douglas and David Lange and the post 1996 election coalition negotiation. Discusses the relationship between Sir Paul Reeves and David Lange and the attitude of the Labour Government to the role of Governor-General. Discusses the re-election to Cabinet of Roger Douglas, the `December 17 package' which was overturned by David Lange and the collapse of the Labour Government. Comments on the constitutional implications of this. Gives her opinion of the attributes required by Prime Ministers. Mentions Jim Bolger and Helen Clark. Discusses Geoffrey Palmer's efforts to get a female Governor-General. Comments on the political understanding of Dame Catherine Tizard.

Comments on the perceived importance of the role of Governor-General since proportional representation began. Discusses the repatriation of the role of Governor-General under Sir Paul Reeves and Dame Catherine Tizard. Mentions Jim Bolger's views on knighthoods and New Zealand as a republic. Discusses relations with Buckingham Palace. Comments on her relationship with the role of Official Secretary. Comments on the importance for the Governor-General of understanding constitutional concepts and the appointment of Sir Michael Hardie Boys. Discusses the test to the system of the nine weeks negotiation of a coalition government after the 1996 election. Explains the relationship between the Governor-General and the Prime Minister during this period.

Interviewer(s) - Hugo Manson

Quantity: 4 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 4 Hours Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3408.

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-005027 - OHLC-005030