View source for Robert Muldoon

{{Short description|Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984}}
{{about|the New Zealand politician|the ''Jurassic Park'' character|Robert Muldoon (fictional character)}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Right Honourable]]
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|size=100%|GCMG|CH}}
| name                = Sir Robert Muldoon
| image               = Robert Muldoon 1978.jpg
| caption             = Muldoon in 1978
| order               = 31st
| office              = Prime Minister of New Zealand
| term_start          = 12 December 1975
| term_end            = 26 July 1984
| monarch             = [[Elizabeth II]]
| governor-general    = [[Denis Blundell]]<br />[[Keith Holyoake]]<br />[[David Beattie]]
| deputy              = [[Brian Talboys]] (1975–1981)<br />{{nowrap|[[Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand politician)|Duncan MacIntyre]]<br /> (1981–1984)}}<br />[[Jim McLay]] (1984)
| predecessor         = [[Bill Rowling]]
| successor           = [[David Lange]]
| order2              = 32nd
| office2             = Minister of Finance (New Zealand){{!}}Minister of Finance
| term_start2         = 12 December 1975
| term_end2           = 26 July 1984
| primeminister2      = Himself
| predecessor2        = [[Bob Tizard]]
| successor2          = [[Roger Douglas]]
| term_start3         = 4 March 1967
| term_end3           = 8 December 1972
| primeminister3      = [[Keith Holyoake]]<br />[[Jack Marshall]]
| predecessor3        = [[Harry Lake]]
| successor3          = Bill Rowling
| order4              = 4th
| office4             = Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
| term_start4         = 9 February 1972
| term_end4           = 8 December 1972
| primeminister4      = Jack Marshall
| predecessor4        = Jack Marshall
| successor4          = [[Hugh Watt]]
| order5              = 21st
| office5             = Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand){{!}}Leader of the Opposition
| term_start5         = 9 July 1974
| term_end5           = 12 December 1975
| primeminister5      = [[Norman Kirk]]<br/>[[Bill Rowling]]
| deputy5             = [[Brian Talboys]]
| predecessor5        = Jack Marshall
| successor5          = Bill Rowling
| term_start6         = 26 July 1984
| term_end6           = 29 November 1984
| primeminister6      = [[David Lange]]
| deputy6             = [[Jim McLay]]
| predecessor6        = David Lange
| successor6          = [[Jim McLay]]
| constituency_MP7    = [[Tāmaki (New Zealand electorate)|Tamaki]]
| parliament7         = New Zealand
| majority7           = 
| term_start7         = [[1960 New Zealand general election|26 November 1960]]
| term_end7           = [[1992 Tamaki by-election|31 December 1991]]
| predecessor7        = [[Bob Tizard]]
| successor7          = [[Clem Simich]]
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1921|9|25|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Auckland]], New Zealand
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1992|8|5|1921|9|25}}
| death_place         = Auckland, New Zealand
| restingplace        = [[Purewa Cemetery]], [[Meadowbank, New Zealand|Meadowbank]]
| birthname           = Robert David Muldoon
| party               = [[New Zealand National Party|National]]
| spouse              = {{marriage |[[Thea Muldoon|Thea Flyger]] |1951}}
| children            = 3
| profession          = Accountant
| signature           = Sir Robert Muldoon signature.svg
| allegiance          = New Zealand
| branch              = [[New Zealand Military Forces]]
| serviceyears        = 1940–1946
| rank                = [[Sergeant]]
| battles             = {{tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Solomon Islands campaign]]
** [[Italian campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]]
{{tree list/end}}
| unit                = [[37th Battalion (New Zealand)|37th Battalion]]<br/>[[Divisional Cavalry Regiment (New Zealand)|Divisional Cavalry Regiment]]
}}
{{Robert Muldoon sidebar}}'''Sir Robert David Muldoon''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|GCMG|CH|PC|size=100%}} ({{IPAc-en|m|ʌ|l|ˈ|d|uː|n}}; 25 September 1921{{spaced ndash}}5 August 1992) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 31st [[prime minister of New Zealand]], from 1975 to 1984, while [[Leader of the New Zealand National Party|leader]] of the [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]]. Departing from National Party convention, Muldoon was a [[Right-wing populism|right-wing populist]] and [[Economic nationalism|economic nationalist]], with a distinctive [[Robert Muldoon#Public image and legacy|public persona]] described as [[reactionary]], aggressive, and abrasive.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Simon |date=5 August 1992 |title=Obituary: Sir Robert Muldoon |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-robert-muldoon-1538341.html |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=[[The Independent]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref name=":4" /><ref name="stuff.co.nz">{{Cite web |last=Cowen |first=Tyler |date=14 February 2017 |title=Feisty, protectionist populism? New Zealand tried it |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/89419135/feisty-protectionist-populism-new-zealand-tried-it |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref name="nzhistory.govt.nz" />

After a troubled childhood, Muldoon served as a corporal and sergeant in the army in the [[Second World War]].{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=36}} After a career as a [[Cost accounting|cost accountant]], he was elected to the House of Representatives at the [[1960 New Zealand general election|1960 general election]] as the Member of Parliament (MP) for [[Tāmaki (New Zealand electorate)|Tamaki]], representing the National Party. Muldoon rose in the [[Second National Government of New Zealand|Second National Government]] to serve successively as [[Minister of Tourism (New Zealand)|Minister of Tourism]] (1967), [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]] (1967–1972), and [[Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand|Deputy Prime Minister]] (1972). Over this time he built up an informal but solid backing amongst National's mostly rural right faction, which he called "Rob's Mob". After National lost the [[1972 New Zealand general election|1972 general election]] to the [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]], Muldoon used his connections to oust moderate party leader [[Jack Marshall]] and take his place, becoming [[Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)|Leader of the Opposition]] in 1974. Through Muldoon's ideological blend of moderate [[social liberalism]] and [[Protectionism|protectionist]] right-wing populism ("counterpunching", a term he coined)<ref name="nzhistory.govt.nz" /> and the promise of a lucrative [[superannuation]] scheme, National enjoyed a resurgence. The early [[Death and state tangi of Norman Kirk|death of prime minister Norman Kirk]] severely weakened the Labour Party, and Muldoon soon led National to a decisive victory in the [[1975 New Zealand general election|1975 general election]].<ref name="nzhistory.govt.nz">{{Cite web|title=Robert Muldoon Biography |first=Gavin |last=McLean |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/robert-muldoon|publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]]|date=15 June 2015|access-date=24 July 2021|website=NZHistory}}</ref>

Muldoon came to power promising to lead "a Government of the ordinary [[bloke]]".{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=21}} He appointed himself Minister of Finance. Although he used populist rhetoric to rail against [[elite]]s and the political establishment,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Revolution - 1, Fortress New Zealand
|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/revolution-1-fortress-new-zealand-2009 |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=[[NZ On Screen]] |language=en}}</ref> he consistently tried to centralise power under himself during his premiership.<ref name="GrimFace">{{Cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=Neil |title=Robert Muldoon: The Grim Face of Power - Part One |url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/robert-muldoon-grim-face-power-one-1994 |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=[[NZ On Screen]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> His tenure was plagued by an economic pattern of stagnation, high inflation, growing unemployment, and high external debts and borrowing. Economic policies of the [[Third National Government of New Zealand|Muldoon Government]] included national superannuation, wage and price freezes, industrial incentives, and the [[Think Big]] industrial projects. He reintroduced and intensified the [[Third Labour Government of New Zealand|previous government's]] policies of the [[Dawn Raids (New Zealand)|Dawn Raids]], which racially targeted [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pasifika]] overstayers. To engage with crime, Muldoon built "unusually close relationships" with [[gangs in New Zealand|criminal gangs]]; he personally favoured [[Black Power (New Zealand gang)|Black Power]], and he and his wife [[Thea Muldoon|Thea]] met with them on several occasions.<ref name="TeAraThea">{{Cite web |title=Muldoon, Robert David: Thea Muldoon with Black Power members |first1=Barry |last1=Gustafson |author-link1=Barry Gustafson |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/28161/thea-muldoon-with-black-power-members |date=2010 |access-date=20 June 2022 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> In foreign policy, Muldoon adopted an [[anti-Soviet]] stance and re-emphasised New Zealand's defence commitments to the United States and Australia under the [[ANZUS]] pact. His refusal to stop a [[1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States|Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand]] divided the country and led to unprecedented civil disorder in 1981. Muldoon became more and more controversial as his premiership progressed; in addition to the controversy of the Springbok tour, he began a [[smear campaign]] against Labour MP [[Colin Moyle]] for alleged illegal homosexual activities and punched demonstrators at a protest.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |title=US media compares Robert Muldoon to Trump |language=en-NZ |work=[[Newshub]] |url=http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/02/meet-nz-s-own-trump-sir-robert-muldoon.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217213630/http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/02/meet-nz-s-own-trump-sir-robert-muldoon.html |access-date=2022-06-20|archive-date=17 February 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-01-31 |title=MPs rush to reveal strip club experience |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/43617/MPs-rush-to-reveal-strip-club-experience |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref name="stuff.co.nz" />

Muldoon led his party to two additional election victories in [[1978 New Zealand general election|1978]] and [[1981 New Zealand general election|1981]], with the [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] electoral system keeping him in power despite losing the popular vote in each election except 1975. At the [[1984 New Zealand general election|1984 snap election]], which Muldoon infamously announced while intoxicated on live television, National finally suffered a significant defeat to Labour. Shortly before leaving office, amid a [[1984 New Zealand constitutional crisis|constitutional crisis]], Muldoon was forced by the incoming Government to devalue the [[New Zealand dollar]]. In 1984, he was only the second prime minister (after [[Keith Holyoake|Sir Keith Holyoake]]) to receive a [[knighthood]] while still in office. Mounting legal costs encouraged Muldoon to pursue a novelty acting career, but he remained in parliament until his retirement in 1992. He died shortly thereafter; the gang Black Power performed a [[haka]] at his funeral.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Gordon |title=On When National's Leaders Had A More Enlightened Approach To Gangs|url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2107/S00037/on-when-nationals-leaders-had-a-more-enlightened-approach-to-gangs.htm |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=[[Scoop (website)|Scoop]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

==Early life and family==
Robert David Muldoon was born in [[Auckland]] on 25 September 1921 to parents James Henry Muldoon and Amie Rusha Muldoon (''née'' Browne).<ref name="TeAra">{{DNZB|Gustafson |Barry |6m1|Muldoon, Robert David |14 August 2022||Barry Gustafson}}</ref> His father's family, the [[Muldoon]] (Irish: ''Ó Maoldúin'') family, were of [[Irish people|Irish]] descent; his grandfather was an Irish-born [[Scouse]]r who emigrated from [[Liverpool]].<ref>Scoop: Culture - '15 per cent of Kiwis have Irish ancestry' (Monday, 14 March 2011). https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1103/S00291/15-per-cent-of-kiwis-have-irish-ancestry.htm</ref><ref>[[Edward MacLysaght]], ''The Surnames of Ireland'', p. 225. Irish Academic Press, [[Dublin]], 1985 (2001 reprint).</ref><ref>Gustafson, 2000:

"refuge of so many Irishmen, and from which we have in very

recent times had some quite unwelcome acquisitions whose activity

among the “red guard” element in our unions has done nothing but

harm to New Zealand’"</ref>

At the age of five, 'Rob' Muldoon slipped while playing on the front gate, damaging his cheek and resulting in a distinctive lopsided smile that remained with him for life.{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=206}}

When Muldoon was aged eight, his father was admitted to [[Whau Lunatic Asylum|Auckland Mental Hospital]] at Point Chevalier,<ref name="TeAra"/> where he died of [[Neurosyphilis|parenchymatous syphilis]] nearly 20 years later in 1946.{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=206}}{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|pp=20–21}}<ref name="GrimFace"/> This left Muldoon's mother to raise him on her own. During this time Muldoon came under the strong formative influence of his fiercely intelligent, iron-willed maternal grandmother Jerusha, a committed socialist. Though Muldoon never accepted her creed, he did develop under her influence a potent ambition, a consuming interest in politics, and an abiding respect for New Zealand's [[welfare state]]. Muldoon won a scholarship to attend [[Mount Albert Grammar School]]{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=206}} from 1933 to 1936. He left school at age 15, finding work at [[Fletcher Construction]] and then the Auckland Electric Power Board as an arrears clerk.{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=206}} He studied accountancy by correspondence.{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=206}}

[[File:Muldoon's wedding 04.jpg|thumb|Robert Muldoon married Thea Flyger in 1951.]]
In 1951 Muldoon married [[Thea Muldoon|Thea Dale Flyger]], who he had met through the Junior Nationals.{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=25}} The couple had three children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/28152/family-album-1950s-wedding|title=Muldoon, Robert David: Family album: 1950s wedding |first1=Barry |last1=Gustafson |author-link1=Barry Gustafson |date=2010 |access-date=14 August 2022 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Lady Muldoon, who died at age 87 in 2015, was appointed a [[Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] in the [[1993 New Year Honours (New Zealand)|1993 New Year Honours]]<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/53154/supplements/29 ''London Gazette'' (supplement), No. 53154], 30 December 1992; retrieved 9 January 2013.</ref> and made a [[Companion of the Queen's Service Order]] in the [[1986 New Year Honours (New Zealand)|1986 New Year Honours]].<ref>[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/50362/supplements/29 ''London Gazette'' (supplement), No. 50362], 30 December 1985; retrieved 9 January 2013.</ref> Muldoon was protective of his family life and, in particular, his wife. He said that people could comment about him but his family was off limits.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=McPhail |first=David |title=The Years Before My Death. Memories of a Comic Life |publisher=Longacre |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-87746-057-9 |location=New Zealand |pages=172}}</ref>

==Early career==
Muldoon joined the [[New Zealand Army|New Zealand Military Forces]] in November 1940 during the Second World War, and served in the South Pacific with [[37th Battalion (New Zealand)|37th Battalion]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C129012|title=Robert David Muldoon|publisher=[[Auckland War Memorial Museum]]|via=Online Cenotaph|access-date=4 February 2021|language=en}}</ref> He was later sent to Italy and served with the same unit ([[Divisional Cavalry Regiment (New Zealand)|Divisional Cavalry Regiment]]) as two other future National Party colleagues, [[Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand politician)|Duncan MacIntyre]] and [[Jack Marshall]].{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=16}} Muldoon completed his training as an accountant, sitting his final exams to become an accountant while in Italy, from Jack Marshall's tent.{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=19}} Muldoon then worked in a chartered accountancy firm in the United Kingdom for a year.{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=19}} According to ''Muldoon'', Muldoon's 1977 autobiography, he returned to New Zealand after the war as the country's first fully qualified [[Cost accounting|cost accountant]], though there are no other sources confirming this.{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=19}}

===Member of Parliament===
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=33rd|start= {{NZ election link year|1960}} |end=1963
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=[[Tāmaki (New Zealand electorate)|Tamaki]]
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=34th|start= {{NZ election link year|1963}} |end=1966
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=35th|start= {{NZ election link year|1966}} |end=1969
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=36th|start= {{NZ election link year|1969}} |end=1972
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=37th|start= {{NZ election link year|1972}} |end=1975
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=38th|start= {{NZ election link year|1975}} |end=1978
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=39th|start= {{NZ election link year|1978}} |end=1981
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=40th|start= {{NZ election link year|1981}} |end=1984
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=41st|start= {{NZ election link year|1984}} |end=1987
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=42nd|start= {{NZ election link year|1987}} |end=1990
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=43rd|start= {{NZ election link year|1990}} |end=1991
 |party=New Zealand National Party
 |electorate=Tamaki
}}
{{End}}
In March 1947 Muldoon joined the newly founded Mount Albert branch of the [[New Zealand Young Nationals|Junior Nationals]], the youth wing of the conservative [[New Zealand National Party]]. He quickly became active in the party, making two sacrificial-lamb bids for Parliament against entrenched but vulnerable [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]] incumbents in [[1954 New Zealand general election|1954]] ([[Mount Albert (New Zealand electorate)|Mount Albert]]) and [[1957 New Zealand general election|1957]] ([[Waitemata (New Zealand electorate)|Waitemata]]).{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=25}} But in [[1960 New Zealand general election|1960]] he won election as MP for the suburban Auckland electorate of [[Tāmaki (New Zealand electorate)|Tamaki]], winning against [[Bob Tizard]], who had taken the former National seat in 1957. In [[1960 New Zealand general election|1960]], an electoral swing brought [[Keith Holyoake]] back to power as Prime Minister of the [[Second National Government of New Zealand|Second National Government]]. Muldoon would represent the Tamaki constituency for the next 32 years.

Muldoon, along with [[Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand politician)|Duncan MacIntyre]] and [[Peter Gordon (politician)|Peter Gordon]] who entered parliament in the same year, became known as the "Young Turks" (a [[wikt:young Turk|common nickname]] for a group of young rebels) because of their criticism of the party's senior leadership.<ref name="TeAra"/> From his early years as an MP, Muldoon became known as ''Piggy'';<ref name="TeAra"/> the [[wiktionary:en:epithet|epithet]] that would remain with him throughout his life even amongst those who were his supporters. Muldoon himself seemed to relish his controversial public profile.<ref name="TeAra"/>

Muldoon opposed both abortion and capital punishment. In 1961 he was one of ten National MPs to cross the floor and vote with the Opposition to remove [[Capital punishment in New Zealand|capital punishment]] for murder from the [[Crimes Act 1961|Crimes Bill]] that the [[Second National Government of New Zealand|Second National Government]] had introduced. In 1977 he voted against the [[Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977]] when the issue also came up as a conscience vote.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=23}}

Muldoon was appointed in 1961 to the Public Accounts Committee, which in 1962 became the Public Expenditure Committee. He was well informed on all aspects of the government, and could participate in many debates in Parliament.<ref name="TeAra"/>

===Entry into Cabinet===
Muldoon displayed a flair for debate and a diligence in his backbench work. Following the re-election of Holyoake's government at the [[1963 New Zealand general election|1963 general election]], Muldoon was appointed as Under-Secretary to the [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]], [[Harry Lake]].<ref name="TeAra"/>{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=65}} While holding this office, he took responsibility for the successful introduction of [[decimal currency]] into New Zealand. Initially there was some controversy over the design of the new coins and notes of the New Zealand dollar,<ref name="TeAra"/> but the issues were overcome in time for the new currency's introduction in July 1967.{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=80}}

===Minister of Finance===
[[File:Hon. Robert Muldoon arriving in China, 1970 (16320891363).jpg|thumb|Muldoon in China as Minister of Finance, 1970]]
The Holyoake government was again re-elected at the [[1966 New Zealand general election|1966 general election]]. However, Muldoon was passed over as a new Cabinet minister following the election, with fellow Young Turks Duncan MacIntyre and Peter Gordon appointed ahead of him. Holyoake appointed Muldoon as [[Minister of Tourism (New Zealand)|Minister of Tourism]] and [[Associate Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister Assistant to the Minister of Finance]] three months later.<ref name="TeAra" />

[[File:McCready Muldoon Shaw 1969.jpg|left|thumb|Muldoon (centre) as Minister of Finance, 26 June 1969; with him are [[Allan McCready]] MP and A J Shaw]]
When Harry Lake died suddenly of a heart attack in February 1967 (only days after Muldoon had joined the Cabinet), Prime Minister [[Keith Holyoake]] appointed Muldoon over [[Tom Shand]] (who himself died unexpectedly in December 1969) and Jack Marshall who had declined the post. Muldoon was to remain Minister of Finance for 14 of the next 17 years;<ref name="TeAra"/> at 45, he became the youngest Minister of Finance since the 1890s.{{sfn|Muldoon|1974|p=84}} At the time there was a serious economic crisis due to a down-turn in the price of wool.<ref name="TeAra"/>

In response to this crisis, Muldoon introduced mini-budgets instead of annual budgets, the first being presented on 4 May 1967. He cut and held public expenditure and increased indirect taxes to reduce demand.<ref name="TeAra"/> As a result, Muldoon was credited with the better economic performance New Zealand enjoyed, raising his profile among the public.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=88}}

Muldoon established a considerable national profile rapidly; Holyoake would later credit his image, rather than that of his deputy, [[Jack Marshall]], for the National Party's surprise victory in the [[1969 New Zealand general election|1969 election]].<ref name="TeAra"/> He displayed a flair for the newly introduced medium of television (broadcasts began in New Zealand in 1960).<ref name="TeAra"/>

===Deputy Prime Minister===
When Holyoake stood down in 1972, Muldoon challenged Marshall for the top job; he lost by a narrow margin, but won unanimous election as deputy leader of the National Party and hence [[Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand|Deputy Prime Minister]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://commonwealthoralhistories.org/2015/interview-with-simon-murdoch/ |title=Interview with Simon Murdoch |first1=Sue |last1=Onslow |first2=Simon |last2=Murdoch |author-link2=Simon Murdoch |publisher=Commonwealth Oral History Project |date=22 May 2015 |access-date=14 August 2022}}</ref>

Marshall fought the [[1972 New Zealand general election|1972 election]] on a slogan of "Man For Man, The Strongest Team" – an allusion to Marshall's own low-key style, particularly compared to his deputy. Muldoon commented on Labour's election promises with "They can't promise anything because I've spent it all".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/2430AC6B-8B63-4AB9-A0C2-7CF38DD8E5BB/89283/47HansD_20040522.pdf|page=13131 |title=Questions for Oral Answer |date=20 May 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210043212/http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/2430AC6B-8B63-4AB9-A0C2-7CF38DD8E5BB/89283/47HansD_20040522.pdf|archive-date=10 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0507/S00170.htm|website=[[Scoop (website)|Scoop]]|title=Brian Easton: The State of the Nation|first=Brian|last=Easton|date=12 July 2005|access-date=31 May 2013}}</ref> [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]], led by the charismatic [[Norman Kirk]], was swept into office, ending 12 years in [[political power|power]] for National.

==Leader of the Opposition==
Many members of the party caucus regarded Marshall as not up to the task of taking on the formidable new prime minister Norman Kirk. In July 1974, less than a year before a statutory general election, the caucus voted to hold a new leadership election. Marshall resigned after longtime colleague [[George Gair]] told him he stood no chance in a leadership vote, and Muldoon was elected unopposed as [[Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)|Leader of the Opposition]] on 9 July 1974. A day later, Muldoon's first autobiography, ''The Rise and Fall of a Young Turk'', was published.<ref name="DNZB Marshall">{{DNZB|Gustafson |Barry |5m36|Marshall, John Ross|27 August 2013||Barry Gustafson}}</ref><ref name="TeAra"/> The book was to be reprinted four times and sell 28,000 copies.<ref name="TeAra"/> Muldoon mastered television and packed public meetings with loyal supporters dubbed "Rob's Mob", who included many [[blue collar]] [[Conservatism|conservatives]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Langridge |first1=Andrew |title=Rob's Mob |url=https://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2008/05/13/robs-mob/ |work=Te Papa Blog |publisher=[[Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa]] |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en-NZ |date=13 May 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Celebrating on election night, November 29 1975.jpg|thumb|Muldoon and [[Thea Muldoon]] (centre left) with National members celebrating on election night, 29 November 1975]]
Muldoon relished the opportunity to match up against Kirk – but had it for only a short time, until Kirk's sudden unexpected death on 31 August 1974. Kirk was replaced as prime minister by [[Bill Rowling]] shortly afterwards. In the [[1975 New Zealand general election|1975 election]], National ran on a platform of "New Zealand – The Way ''YOU'' Want It", a slogan Muldoon came up with himself. He promised a generous [[Social security|national superannuation]] scheme to replace Kirk and Rowling's employer-contribution superannuation scheme (which the famous [[Dancing Cossacks advertisement|"Dancing Cossacks" television advertisement]] implied would turn New Zealand into a communist state), and promised to fix New Zealand's "shattered economy". Labour responded with a campaign called [[Citizens for Rowling]], described by Muldoon as "not even a thinly disguised" attack on himself.{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=207}} At the election, Muldoon overwhelmed Rowling, reversing the 55-32 Labour majority to a 55–32 National majority.

==Prime Minister (1975–1984)==
{{Main|Third National Government of New Zealand}}
{{Infobox administration
| image = Muldoon 1978.jpg
| image_size = 
| name = Premiership of Robert Muldoon
| term_start = 12 December 1975
| term_end = 26 July 1984
| monarch = [[Elizabeth II]]
| cabinet = [[Third National Government of New Zealand]]
| party = [[New Zealand National Party]]
| election = [[1975 New Zealand general election|1975]], [[1978 New Zealand general election|1978]], [[1981 New Zealand general election|1981]]
| appointer = [[Denis Blundell]]
| predecessor = [[Bill Rowling#Prime Minister (1974–1975)|Bill Rowling]]
| successor = [[David Lange#Prime Minister (1984–1989)|David Lange]]
| seal =
| seal_size = 
| seal_caption =
| official_url=
}}

===First term: 1975–1978===
[[File:Robert Muldoon and Jimmy Carter, 1977.tif|thumb|left|Robert Muldoon and US President [[Jimmy Carter]] during an official visit to the United States, 1977]]
Muldoon was sworn in as New Zealand's 31st Prime Minister on 12 December 1975, at the age of 54. A [[populist]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cowen |first1=Tyler |title=Feisty, Protectionist Populism? New Zealand Tried That |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-02-13/feisty-protectionist-populism-new-zealand-tried-that |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]] |access-date=18 June 2017 |date=14 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301144234/https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-02-13/feisty-protectionist-populism-new-zealand-tried-that |archive-date=1 March 2017}}</ref> he promised to lead "a Government of the ordinary bloke".{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=21}} His government immediately faced problems with the economy; a [[recession]] from June 1976 to March 1978 caused New Zealand's economy to shrink 4.1% and unemployment to rise 125%.<ref name="dol unemployment">{{cite web|url=http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/discussion-papers/current-recession/|title=How bad is the Current Recession? Labour Market Downturns since the 1960s|publisher=[[Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment]]|access-date=15 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215000257/http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/discussion-papers/current-recession/|archive-date=15 December 2014}}</ref>

====Superannuation and Fitzgerald v. Muldoon====
One of Muldoon's first actions was to issue a press release stating that he would advise the [[Governor-General of New Zealand|Governor-General]] to abolish Labour's superannuation scheme without new legislation. Muldoon felt that the dissolution would be immediate, and he would later introduce a bill in parliament to retroactively make the abolition legal. The [[Bill of Rights 1689]] was then invoked in the case of ''[[Fitzgerald v Muldoon and Others]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ssc.govt.nz/display/document.asp?docid=4277&pageno=3|title=The Constitutional Setting|publisher=[[State Services Commission]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016073216/http://www.ssc.govt.nz/display/document.asp?docid=4277|archive-date=16 October 2008}}</ref> The [[Chief Justice]], Sir [[Richard Wild (judge)|Richard Wild]], declared that Muldoon's actions were illegal as they had violated Article 1 of the Bill of Rights, which provides "that the pretended power of dispensing with laws or the execution of laws by regal authority...is illegal."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawsociety.org.nz/publications_and_submissions/lawtalk/2010_issues/lawtalk,_issue_743/the_legitimacy_of_judicial_review_of_executive_decision-making|title=The legitimacy of judicial review of executive decision-making|publisher=New Zealand Law Society|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204112322/http://www.lawsociety.org.nz/publications_and_submissions/lawtalk/2010_issues/lawtalk%2C_issue_743/the_legitimacy_of_judicial_review_of_executive_decision-making|archive-date=4 February 2010}}</ref> Ultimately Muldoon, as a member of the executive branch, was acting beyond his prescribed powers, as only parliament has the power to make and unmake laws. Therefore, Muldoon's actions were not only illegal, but unconstitutional, as they violated the rule of law and the sovereignty of parliament.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Palmer|first=Geoffrey|date=1976|title=New Zealand and the Glorious Revolution|journal=New Zealand Law Journal|volume=12|url=http://www.nzlii.org/nz/journals/OtaLawRw/2014/3.html}}</ref> This is encapsulated in Sir Richard Wild's judgment, in which he stated that "The Act of Parliament in force required that those deductions and contributions must be made, yet here was the Prime Minister announcing that they need not be made. I am bound to hold that in so doing he was purporting to suspend the law without consent of Parliament. Parliament had made the law. Therefore the law could be amended or suspended only by Parliament or with the authority of Parliament."<ref>''Fitzergerald v Muldoon'' [1976] 2 NLZR 615 at 622.</ref>

Economics correspondent Brian Gaynor has claimed that Muldoon's policy of reversing Labour's saving scheme cost him a chance to transform the New Zealand economy.<ref name="gaynor_super">{{cite news|newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=22 September 2007|access-date=22 September 2007|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10465138&pnum=0|first=Brian|last=Gaynor|title=Brian Gaynor: How Muldoon threw away NZ's wealth}}</ref> The National superannuation scheme was one of Muldoon's 1975 election promises: it was described as a "generous" policy, and was effective in realigning Muldoon's support from elderly voters.{{sfn|Johansson|2005}} However, the high cost of the scheme had an immense impact on the budget; Margaret McClure determined that the scheme's superannuation was substantially higher than that of similar policies elsewhere in the world.{{sfn|Johansson|2005}} The United States' superannuation for a married couple was effectively 49% of the average wage rate, and 40% in Australia and 38% in Britain; however, New Zealand's was set at 80%.{{sfn|Johansson|2005}} Therefore, by 1981 the spending on this scheme had doubled, and made up 17.3% of the government's budget. This resulted in other social policy programs, particularly education, being deprived of funds during this period.{{sfn|Johansson|2005}} Justice [[Stephen Kós]] has also stated that the "increase, without contribution, was utterly unsustainable."<ref>Justice Stephen Kos "Constitutional collision: Fitzgerald v Muldoon v Wild" (2014) 13 Otago LR 243.</ref>

[[File:Margaret Thatcher (including picture with Robert Muldoon) (crop).jpg|thumb|Muldoon meets British Conservative Party leader [[Margaret Thatcher]], Wellington, September 1976]]

====Economic challenges====
Muldoon's government inherited a number of economic and social challenges. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, New Zealand's economy had significantly declined due to several international developments: a decline in international wool prices in 1966, Britain joining the [[European Economic Community]] in 1973 (which deprived New Zealand of its formerly most important export market), and the [[1973 oil crisis]]. The "Muldoon Years" were to feature Muldoon's obstinate and resourceful attempts to maintain New Zealand's "cradle to the grave" [[welfare state]], dating from 1935, in the face of a changing world. Muldoon had remained National's Finance spokesman when he became party leader, and as a result became his own Minister of Finance when National won power in 1975—thus concentrating enormous power in his hands.  He is the last to hold both posts {{As of|2019|alt= to date}}.

In his first term (1975–1978) Muldoon focused on reducing expenditure, but struggled with the growing cost of his own superannuation scheme,{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=88}} partly due to the many tax rebates and exemptions he passed for lower income earners.{{sfn|Easton|1981|p=?}} By March 1978 the economy was growing again,<ref name="dol unemployment" /> but unemployment and inflation remained high.<ref name="dol unemployment" />

====The Dawn Raids====
{{Further|Dawn raids (New Zealand)}}
Robert Muldoon continued his Labour predecessor Prime Minister [[Norman Kirk]]'s policy of arresting and deporting [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pacific Islander]] overstayers which had begun in 1974.{{sfn|Anae|2012|pp=227–230}} Since the 1950s, the New Zealand government had encouraged substantial emigration from several Pacific countries including [[Samoa]], [[Tonga]], and [[Fiji]] to fill a labour shortage caused by the post–war economic boom. Consequently, the Pacific Islander population in New Zealand had grown to 45,413 by 1971, with a substantial number overstaying their visas.{{sfn|Parker|2005|p=28–29}} The economic crisis of the early 1970s led to increased crime, unemployment and other social ailments, which disproportionately involved the Pacific Islander community.{{sfn|Parker|2005|p=64-65}}

In July 1974, Muldoon as opposition leader had promised to cut immigration and to "get tough" on law and order issues. He claimed that the Labour government's immigration policies had contributed to the economic recession and undermined the "New Zealand way of life" by causing a housing shortage. During the 1975 general elections, the National Party had played a controversial electoral advertisement that was later criticised for stoking [[racism|negative racial sentiments]] about Polynesian migrants.<ref name="National Party advertisement">{{cite AV media |year=1975 |title=''National Party advertisement''|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/video/2158/national-party-advertisement |format=documentary |id=P192891 |publisher=[[TVNZ]], [[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |access-date=14 August 2022}}</ref> Muldoon's government accelerated and increased the Kirk government's police raids against Pacific overstayers. These operations involved special police squads conducting [[Dawn Raids (New Zealand)|dawn raids]] on the homes of overstayers throughout New Zealand. Overstayers and their families were usually deported to their countries of origin.<ref name="Dawn Raids">{{cite AV media |people=Damon Fepulea'I, Rachel Jean, Tarx Morrison |year=2005 |title=''Dawn Raids'' |url=http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/dawn-raids-2005 |format= documentary |publisher=TVNZ, Isola Publications }}</ref>{{sfn|Anae|2012|pp=230–233}}

The Dawn Raids were widely condemned by various sections of New Zealand society, including the Pacific Islander and [[Māori people|Māori]] communities, church groups, employers and workers' unions, anti-racist groups, and the opposition Labour Party. The raids were also criticised by elements of the [[New Zealand Police]] and the ruling National Party for damaging relations with the Pacific Islander community.{{sfn|Anae|2012|pp=234–236}} At the time, Pacific Islanders comprised only one third of the overstayers (who were primarily from the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa), but made up 86% of those arrested and prosecuted for overstaying.<ref name="Dawn Raids" /> The Muldoon government's treatment of overstayers also damaged relations with Pacific countries like Samoa and Tonga, and generated criticism from the [[South Pacific Forum]]. By 1979, the Muldoon government terminated the Dawn Raids, concluding that they had failed to alleviate the economic problems.<ref name="Dawn Raids" />

====Moyle Affair====
{{main|Moyle Affair}}
Muldoon, in Parliament, accused opposition MP and former Cabinet minister [[Colin Moyle]] in November 1976 of having been questioned by the police on suspicion of homosexual activities a year earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gaynz.net.nz/history/MoyleAffair.html|title=The "Moyle Affair"|publisher=Queer History New Zealand|date=11 July 2002}}</ref> Homosexual activity between men [[LGBT rights in New Zealand|was illegal in New Zealand]] at the time. After changing his story several times, Moyle resigned from Parliament. He later said that he had not been obliged to resign, but had done so because "the whole thing just made me sick".<ref name="Moyle Interview">{{cite news|publisher=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Evening Post]]|date=25 August 1990|page=25|title=Interview with Colin Moyle}}</ref> It has been suggested that Muldoon saw him as a leadership threat and acted accordingly.{{sfn|Lange|2005|loc=Chapter 7}} In a 1990 interview, Moyle said that the scandal had made him a "sadder and wiser person".<ref name="Moyle Interview" /> The head of the prime minister's department, [[Gerald Hensley]], wrote that Muldoon had told later him outing Moyle was the thing he regretted most in his life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hensley |first=Gerald |date=14 July 2023 |title=Prime Ministers from Below - Robert Muldoon |url=https://kahudespatches.nz/recollections/prime-ministers-from-below-robert-muldoon/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315151458/https://kahudespatches.nz/recollections/prime-ministers-from-below-robert-muldoon/ |archive-date=15 March 2024 |access-date=15 March 2024 |website=Kahu Despatches |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

The subsequent {{By-election link|Mangere|1977}} was won by [[David Lange]], and the attention that this got him helped propel Lange to the leadership of the Labour Party and his landslide victory over Muldoon in the [[1984 New Zealand general election|1984 election]].{{sfn|Lange|2005|loc=Chapter 7}}

====Appointment of Holyoake as Governor-General====
[[File:Walter Scheel in New Zealand October 1978.jpg|thumb|250px|Prime Minister Muldoon (far left) and Governor-General [[Keith Holyoake|Sir Keith Holyoake]] (third from left) with West German President [[Walter Scheel]] (fourth from right), pictured in the conservatory at Government House Wellington in October 1978]]
As prime minister, Muldoon had the sole right to advise [[Elizabeth II]], [[Queen of New Zealand]], on whom to appoint as governor-general. With the term of Sir [[Denis Blundell]] as Governor-General coming to an end in 1977, a new appointee was needed. Muldoon sent a message to the Queen on 15 December 1976 putting forward former prime minister Sir Keith Holyoake as his appointee, which the Queen approved.{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=298}} The announcement was made by the Queen at the end of [[List of Commonwealth visits made by Queen Elizabeth II#1970s|her tour of New Zealand on 7 March 1977]], from the [[HMY Britannia|Royal Yacht ''Britannia'']] in [[Lyttelton Harbour]].{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=299}}

This choice was controversial because Holyoake was a sitting Cabinet minister. Both opponents and supporters of Muldoon's government claimed that it was a political appointment; a number of National MPs, including his deputy, disagreed with the precedent of having a politician as governor-general.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=208}} The Leader of the Opposition, Bill Rowling complained that he had not been consulted on the appointment, and then stated that he would act to remove Holyoake as Governor-General should the Labour Party win the [[1978 New Zealand general election|1978 general election]].{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=300}} As a result of the appointment, Holyoake resigned from Parliament, resulting in the [[1977 Pahiatua by-election|Pahiatua by-election of 1977]]. He was succeeded in his seat by [[John Falloon]].

====1978 election====
{{Main|1978 New Zealand general election}}
A month before the general election Muldoon remained the preferred prime minister, though his support slipped from 60% to 48% while Rowling's rose 8 points to 38%.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=259}} At the election, held on 25 November, National lost three seats and it dropped 7.9 percentage points in the vote. Although the party had been returned to office with a majority of seats, it had lost the popular vote to a resurgent Labour Party.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=259}} National Party President [[George Alan Chapman|George Chapman]] argued National struggled at the election because of the many boundary changes and issues with the electoral roll,{{sfn|Chapman|1980|p=165}} contrary to Muldoon's claims that the media going against National had caused the decline in support.{{sfn|Chapman|1980|p=182}}

===Second term: 1978–1981===
[[File:New Zealand Cabinet, 1981.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Cabinet photograph during [[Queen Elizabeth II]]'s tour of New Zealand in October 1981; Muldoon is seated on the Queen's right]]

====Taxation====
Muldoon initially opposed [[indirect tax|indirect consumer taxation]] on the basis that it would penalise poor people and increase inflation due to compensatory wage increases.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=271}} However, in May 1979 he attempted to increase tax revenue by levying 10% to 20% taxes on a wide range of goods, including petrol, lawnmowers, caravans and boats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/taxes/page-6|title=Taxes - Gradual complication of the tax system – 1960 to 1984 |first1=Paul |last1=Goldsmith |author-link1=Paul Goldsmith (politician) |date=11 March 2010 |access-date=15 November 2016 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> The taxes were criticised for being discriminatory, ineffective, and a "quick fix" that precluded necessary fundamental reform of the taxation system (as there were no income tax cuts to reflect the shift to indirect taxation).{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=271}} The boat and caravan levies, in particular, crippled both industries, as potential buyers could not afford the 20% tax on top of the construction costs, resulting in additional unemployment as workers were laid off.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/10344516/Vantastic-explores-NZ-caravan-history|title=Vantastic explores NZ caravan history|first=Geoff|last=Lewis|date=4 August 2014|publisher=Fairfax New Zealand}}</ref>

====Communism and the Soviet Union====
As with other conservative governments during the [[Cold War]], Muldoon adopted an anti-Soviet stance. As a long-time National Party activist, Muldoon rejected [[Communism]] as an "alien" collectivist philosophy. During the television programme ''Gallery'' in the later 1960s, he also rebuked left-leaning clergymen who had criticised [[apartheid in South Africa]] for failing to oppose Soviet communism. Muldoon was critical of Communist influence in New Zealand's trade union movement.{{sfn|Wilson|2004|pp=85–87}} He also viewed the Moscow-aligned [[Socialist Unity Party of New Zealand|Socialist Unity Party]] (SUP), a break-away faction from the [[Communist Party of New Zealand]], as a Soviet [[fifth column]] that was trying to subvert New Zealand and the South Pacific island states. In various speeches and press releases, he would accuse the SUP and other Communist groups of instigating strikes and organising protests against US naval visits and New Zealand's sporting contacts with South Africa.{{sfn|Gustafson|2004|p=27}}

As prime minister, he accepted both the American and Chinese views that the [[Soviet Union]] was an aggressive power with hegemonic ambitions in the South Pacific.{{sfn|Gustafson|2004|p=27}} Muldoon would also join the United States President [[Jimmy Carter]] and other Western leaders in condemning the [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]] in 1979 and boycotting the [[1980 Summer Olympics]]. However, his government did not participate in the US-led trade boycott against the Soviet Union because it would have hurt New Zealand's predominantly agricultural export economy. In 1980, the National government also expelled the Soviet Ambassador, Vsevolod Sofinski, for providing funding to the SUP. Despite his antagonism towards the Soviet Union and domestic Communist movements, Muldoon's government still maintained economic relations with the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Wilson|2004|pp=106–129}}

====Arthur Allan Thomas====
{{main|Arthur Allan Thomas}}
After [[David Yallop]] drew Muldoon's attention to the case of Arthur Allan Thomas, twice convicted for the murders of farming couple [[Harvey and Jeannette Crewe]], Muldoon asked Robert Adams-Smith, a [[List of King's and Queen's Counsel in New Zealand|QC]], to review the case. Adams-Smith reported 'an injustice may have been done', and Muldoon pushed through a royal pardon for Thomas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/arthur-allan-thomas-convicted-crewe-murders-second-time|title=Arthur Allan Thomas convicted of Crewe murders for a second time|publisher=History Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage|access-date=7 September 2014}}</ref> A subsequent Royal Commission of Inquiry exonerated Thomas and recommended he be paid $950,000 as compensation for the time he served.<ref>{{citation|url=http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/r.christie/thomas_royal_commission_1980.pdf|title=Report of the Royal Commission to Inquire into the Circumstances of the Convictions of Arthur Allan Thomas for the Murders of David Harvey Crewe and Jeanette Lenore Crewe, 1980|page=120|access-date=15 October 2010|archive-date=9 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609174212/http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/r.christie/thomas_royal_commission_1980.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:The Muldoons in Disneyland.jpg|thumb|Muldoon on an incongruous trip to [[Disneyland]], in November 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Lodge |first1=Nevile Sidney |last2=Evening Post (Wellington |first2=N. Z. ) |date=1977-01-01 |title=Lodge, Nevile Sidney, 1918–1989:'Say, Mr. Muldoon, how about a permanent Noo Zealand exhibit here in Fantasyland?' 1977 |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23225598 |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=Lodge, Nevile Sidney, 1918–1989:'Say,... {{!}} Items {{!}} National Library of New Zealand {{!}} National Library of New Zealand |language=en-nz}}</ref> Despite an abrasive personality, the Prime Minister was known for his eccentric behaviour – including an unexplained affection for [[Mickey Mouse]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=specified |first=Not |date=1982-01-28 |title=Mickey Mouse and Robert Muldoon |url=https://digitalnz.org/records/23040908 |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=DigitalNZ |language=en}}</ref>]]

====East Coast Bays by-election====
{{main|1980 East Coast Bays by-election}}
Muldoon's appointment of [[Frank Gill (politician)|Frank Gill]] as [[List of ambassadors of New Zealand to the United States#Ambassadors to the United States|New Zealand's ambassador to the United States]] led to a by-election in Gill's seat of [[East Coast Bays (New Zealand electorate)|East Coast Bays]]. Muldoon's favoured candidate was [[Sue Wood]], at the time National's Vice President and later party President.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=137}} National selected the economically liberal [[Don Brash]], a future Governor of the [[Reserve Bank of New Zealand]] and later leader of the National Party, as its candidate. Brash lost the by-election to Social Credit's [[Gary Knapp]], a major upset and a blow for Muldoon's leadership. Muldoon blamed Brash and the party organisation for the defeat, but was strongly rebuked by the party for this stance.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=137}} The loss of the by-election provided the catalyst for growing opposition within the National Party to Muldoon's leadership.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=138}}

====Colonels' Coup====
Following the loss of the East Coast Bays by-election, Muldoon faced an abortive attempt in October–November 1980 to oust him as leader.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=204}} Known as the Colonels' Coup after its originators—[[Jim Bolger]], [[Jim McLay]] and [[Derek Quigley]]—it aimed to replace Muldoon with his more economically liberal deputy, [[Brian Talboys]]. Muldoon, who was overseas at the time, saw the plotters off with relative ease, especially since Talboys himself was a reluctant draftee.{{sfn|Gustafson|1986|p=206}} No other serious challenge to his leadership occurred in his years as prime minister until after the 1984 election.

====Springbok Tour====
{{Main|1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand}}

Professing a belief that politics should not interfere with sport, Muldoon resisted pressure to bar the 1981 tour by the [[Springboks]], the national [[rugby union]] squad of ''[[apartheid]]''-era South Africa. By allowing "the Tour", Muldoon was accused of breaking the 1977 [[Gleneagles Agreement]] (to form a common policy on sporting with South Africa amongst the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], signed after the boycott of the [[Montreal Olympics]] in 1976). Muldoon noted, however, that the Gleneagles Agreement had been amended and, in an article in ''[[The Times]]'', that he had not broken the Gleneagles Agreement because "New Zealand and subsequently other countries made it clear that they could not subscribe to an agreement which required them to abrogate the freedoms of their sportsmen and prohibit sporting contacts".<ref name="muldoon_robert">{{cite web|work=The Times |location=UK |date=28 July 1981 |access-date=12 October 2009 |url=http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/viewArticle.arc?articleId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1981-07-28-16-003&pageId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1981-07-28-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520074338/http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/viewArticle.arc?articleId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1981-07-28-16-003&pageId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1981-07-28-16 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 May 2009 |last=Muldoon |first=Robert |title=Robert Muldoon: Why My Small Country is Now Being Rent Asunder}}</ref> "The Tour", as it has become known, provoked massive public demonstrations and some of the worst social schisms New Zealand has ever seen. Muldoon came down firmly on the pro-Tour side, arguing that sport and politics should be kept separate. He argued that his refusal to ban the Springboks was anti-authoritarian, leaving it up to individual consciences whether to play sports with representatives of [[apartheid]]. He also argued that allowing their rugby team to tour did not mean supporting apartheid.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Battle lines are drawn|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/1981-springbok-tour/battle-lines-are-drawn|access-date=24 July 2021|website=nzhistory.govt.nz|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=30 July 2021|title=Legacy of 1981 Springbok tour still felt today|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300370367/legacy-of-1981-springbok-tour-still-felt-today|access-date=19 August 2021|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref>

====Think Big====
{{Main|Think Big}}
[[File:Robert Muldoon in Rotorua, November 1980.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Muldoon shows a lighter side: opening the [[Agrodome]] (agricultural centre) in [[Rotorua]], November 1980]]
The [[Iranian Revolution]] had led to the [[1979 energy crisis|second oil shock of 1979]]. Economic growth in New Zealand had only just begun to recover from the 1976–78 recession when the oil shock hit.<ref name="dol unemployment"/> Economic pressures continued to build: Muldoon tried to control spiraling increases in wages and inflation through a trade-off with the [[trade union|trade-union]] leadership: a reduction in the tax rate in exchange for an agreement not to press for further rounds of wage increases, similar to [[Prices and Incomes Accord|The Accord]] reached in Australia in 1983.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=43}} The [[Federation of Labour (New Zealand)|Federation of Labour]]'s President [[Jim Knox]], who Muldoon did not get along with, refused to co-operate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5k13/knox-walter-james|title=Knox, Walter James|publisher=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]|date=2000|last=Franks|first=Peter|access-date=7 April 2015}}</ref> In response, Muldoon introduced his Think Big strategy, in which the government borrowed heavily to invest in large-scale industrial projects, predominantly energy-related.<ref name="TeAra"/> The projects' goals were to make New Zealand more than 60% self-sufficient in energy, and to produce 425,000 jobs.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/revolution-1-fortress-new-zealand-2009|title=Revolution – 1, Fortress New Zealand {{!}} Television |language=en|website=[[NZ On Screen]] |access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> The Clyde dam, which generated electricity to be used to manufacture aluminium for export, was typical of Muldoon's efforts to shelter New Zealand from the troubles of the rest of the world.<ref name=":1" /> This dam was described to symbolise "fortress New Zealand".<ref name=":1" />

The Think Big projects were a major part of Muldoon's legacy. However, when presenting the idea to the public, Muldoon vastly exaggerated their benefits.{{sfn|Johansson|2005|p=62}} Many projects had severe budget overruns of as much as ten times their expected costs. This soon worsened the balance of payments deficit and inflation, as all of the equipment and technology used was imported.{{sfn|Johansson|2005|p=62}} As a result of increased oil prices, a decline in New Zealand's terms of trade, and less than expected returns from the Think Big projects, Muldoon was forced to borrow more money.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/balance-of-payments/page-3 |title=Balance of payments - Other perspectives on the current account |first1=C. John |last1=McDermott |first2=Rishab |last2=Sethi |date=11 March 2010 |access-date=15 November 2016 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Despite Muldoon's promise before the 1975 election to erase debt, the already high levels of debt remained.<ref name=":3" /> The advisability of the Think Big projects remains controversial.

Concerned about the use of [[foreign exchange market|foreign exchange]] during the 1970s' oil crises, Muldoon supported a scheme to retrofit cars to use natural gas or a dual-fuel gas–petrol system. The 1979 budget introduced incentives for the conversions, and New Zealand emerged as the first country to make [[Bi-fuel vehicle|dual-fuel cars]] commonplace. However, the projected continued rise in oil prices did not transpire.

==== 1981 election ====
{{main|1981 New Zealand general election}}
Despite the turmoil over the Springbok Tour, Muldoon's Government won the subsequent 1981 election, held on 28 November. On the night, National won 46 seats to Labour's 44 and Social Credit's two, but a recount gave National the seat of [[Gisborne (New Zealand electorate)|Gisborne]] by 150 votes, and a majority of one.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=29}} Muldoon had to be persuaded not to make the Springbok Tour an issue in the election,{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=29}} and the National Party's campaign instead focused on Think Big.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=29}} Again, Muldoon's Government received fewer votes than the opposition Labour Party.<ref name="TeAra"/>

===Third term: 1981–1984 ===
[[File:Robert Muldoon in 1981.jpg|thumb|upright|Muldoon in 1981]]
Muldoon's third term was tumultuous. With a one-seat majority he faced an increasingly restless backbench who wanted the National Party to adopt a more economically liberal stance.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=33}} Early in 1982 [[Derek Quigley]], a junior minister who had been demoted for his role in the Colonel's Coup of 1980, spoke out against Think Big, casting doubts on its benefits.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=37}} As a result, Muldoon asked him to apologise or resign from Cabinet; Quigley chose to resign. Muldoon had also fallen out with former supporter and millionaire businessman [[Bob Jones (businessman)|Bob Jones]], who made good on a threat to create his own party in protest at Muldoon's economic policies. In 1983 the [[New Zealand Party]] was formed by Jones and took a significant share of the vote at the [[1984 New Zealand general election|1984 election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/national-party/page-2|title=Story: National Party Page 2 – Consensus and division|first=Colin |last=James|publisher=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]|date=13 July 2012|access-date=17 February 2015}}</ref>

==== Economic recession and wage and price freeze ====
With Think Big failing to deliver on its promise, Muldoon imposed an [[incomes policy]]: a freeze on wages and most prices (items excluded included fresh meat, frozen meat, items sold at auction and "women's fashion clothing other than standard lines"<ref name="Beattie">{{cite web |last1=Beattie |first1=David |author-link1=David Beattie |title=The Price Freeze Regulations 1982 |url=http://www.nzlii.org/cgi-bin/download.cgi/cgi-bin/download.cgi/download/nz/legis/num_reg/pfr1982235.pdf |access-date=20 November 2019 |date=April 1982}}</ref>), interest rates and dividends across the country in April 1982.<ref name="Beattie"/> Against this he offered a "sweetener" of a tax cut which cost the New Zealand treasury approximately a billion New Zealand dollars.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=42}} Ultimately the Wage and Price Freeze, which had been intended only to last for a year, remained in force for nearly two years and was repealed by the incoming Labour Government. Years later, Muldoon admitted that the freeze was a political mistake.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

The second recession during Muldoon's premiership hit in September 1982.<ref name="dol unemployment" /> New Zealand's economy contracted again by 3% and unemployment hit 5.1% by 1983, and net emigration remained high.<ref name="dol unemployment" />

====Falklands War====
In 1982, Muldoon's government supported the British in the [[Falklands War]]. While New Zealand did not directly participate in the conflict, Muldoon undertook to send the frigates [[HMNZS Canterbury (F-421)|HMNZS ''Canterbury'']] and [[HMNZS Waikato (F-55)|HMNZS ''Waikato'']] to the Indian Ocean to relieve Royal Navy frigates, so that they could in their turn deploy in the conflict. New Zealand also broke off its diplomatic relations with Argentina. In defence of his support for the war, Muldoon wrote an article that was published in ''[[The Times]]'', entitled "Why we Stand by our Mother Country":

<blockquote>We are a free and independent nation but in time of trouble we stand with our mother country...New Zealand's decision to break off diplomatic relations with Argentina over the Falklands, immediately after Britain had done so, was not because of Britain's support on the sporting issue. The reason goes much deeper than that. It is in the context of the statement made by a Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand in 1939: "Where Britain goes, we go." We see the Falklands as British territory and the Falklands Islanders as subjects of our Queen. We live at the end of the line and we know the feeling of isolation...With the Falklands Islands, it is family. Historically, Britain has so often on great occasions thrown up the leader that the occasion demanded. I regard Margaret Thatcher as one of the finest and straightest politicians I have ever met...In 1939 we learned the folly of appeasement. A great catastrophe was the price that was paid. The military rulers of Argentina must not be appeased. New Zealand will back Britain all the way.<ref>{{cite news|last=Muldoon|first=Robert|title=Why we stand with our mother country|work=The Times|date=20 May 1982|page=14}}</ref></blockquote>

In the [[British House of Commons]], [[Margaret Thatcher]] responded by saying that "The New Zealand Government and people have been absolutely magnificent in their support of this country, of the Falkland Islanders and of the rule of liberty and the rule of law. I shall gladly convey that to Mr. Muldoon, who, only yesterday, reminded me 'Don't forget. In New Zealand, we are still a member of the same family.{{'"}}<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1982/may/20/engagements#S6CV0024P0_19820520_HOC_165 "House of Commons PQs", 20 May 1982]</ref>

====Closer Economic Relations====
[[File:Malcolm Fraser & Robert Muldoon (17473395099).jpg|thumb|Muldoon and Australian Prime Minister [[Malcolm Fraser]], meeting in 1978 in Sydney. It was an open secret that the two men did not get along, and even hated each other – largely due to Muldoon's rudeness towards Fraser.<ref name=":53"/>]]
Muldoon initiated a [[Closer Economic Relations]] (CER) free trade agreement with Australia to liberalise trade, which came into effect from New Year's Day 1982. The aim of total free trade between the two countries was achieved in 1990, five years ahead of schedule.<ref>{{cite web|title=Signing of CER agreement strengthens trans-Tasman trade ties|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/signing-cer-strengthens-tasman-trade-ties|website=www.nzhistory.net.nz|publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage|access-date=16 November 2016}}</ref>

====Nuclear ships policy and the snap election of 1984====
{{main|1984 New Zealand general election}}
Ultimately, the end of Muldoon's government came following a late-night clash with National backbencher [[Marilyn Waring]] over highly contentious Opposition-sponsored [[Nuclear proliferation|nuclear-free New Zealand]] legislation, in which Waring told him she would [[Crossing the floor|cross the floor]] (giving the Opposition a victory). On 14 June 1984, a visibly drunk{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=375}} Muldoon called a [[1984 New Zealand general election|a snap election for 14 July]] that same year; historians noted the unfortunate coincidence with [[Bastille Day]].<ref name=nzhistory>{{cite web |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/robert-muldoon |title=Robert Muldoon |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |date=9 July 2010 |access-date=22 November 2010 }}</ref> A journalist commented that a one-month election campaign would not give Muldoon much time to which Muldoon replied, audibly slurring his words, "It doesn't give my opponents much time to run up to an election, does it?".<ref>{{cite web |title=Here is the News – 1984 Snap Election {{sic|Anoun|cement|nolink=y}} {{!}} Television {{!}} NZ On Screen |url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/here-is-the-news-1984-snap-election-1992 |website=www.nzonscreen.com |publisher=[[NZ On Screen]] |access-date=15 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Six days before the election, a televised leader's debate was held between Muldoon and [[David Lange]] where Muldoon, irritated by Lange's magnanimous closing words to him, sarcastically finished the debate by saying "I love you, Mr Lange".{{sfn|Johansson|2005}} Muldoon was heavily defeated by Lange's resurgent Labour Party, which won 56 seats to National's 37 with massive [[vote splitting]] caused by the [[New Zealand Party]] in particular. Muldoon's drunkenness when announcing the election date led to it being humorously called the "[[schnapps]] election".<ref>{{cite web|last=Shroff|first=Marie|year=2005|title=The Official Information Act and Privacy: New Zealand's Story|url=http://www.privacy.org.nz/assets/Files/67725421.pdf}}</ref><ref name=nzhistory/>

It is a strong convention in New Zealand politics that a prime minister does not ask for an early election unless he or she cannot govern, or unless they need to seek the electorate's endorsement on a matter of national importance (as was the case in [[1951 New Zealand general election|1951]]). Muldoon justified the snap election because he felt Waring's revolt impeded his ability to govern. Indeed, it was obvious that Muldoon was finding it hard to pass financial measures with [[neo-liberal]] rebels like [[Ruth Richardson]] and [[Derek Quigley]] voting against the Government on certain issues.{{sfn|Bohan|2004|p=95}} However, Waring said that she would not have denied Muldoon confidence or [[Loss of Supply|supply]]. This has led historians to question Muldoon's excuse for calling a snap election, since he still would have had the constitutional means to govern.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Malone |first1=Ryan |title=Rebalancing the Constitution: The Challenge of Government Law-making Under MMP |date=2008 |publisher=Institute of Policy Studies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GuSbAAAAMAAJ |isbn=978-1877347207 |page=237}}</ref>

==== Relationship with foreign leaders ====
Muldoon had several close relationships with foreign leaders, such as British prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], American President [[Ronald Reagan]], Philippine dictator [[Ferdinand Marcos]], and Australian prime minister [[Malcolm Fraser]]. These ranged from being positive to being stricken with deep animosity.

Despite both being from conservative parties (the [[Liberal Party of Australia]] and the [[New Zealand National Party]]), the relationship Muldoon had with Malcolm Fraser was unusually poor; largely due to Muldoon, they never got along.<ref name=":53">{{Cite web |title=NZ and Australia: Standing together, and apart |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nz-and-australia-standing-together-and-apart/PQZH32HL5TZBXOWBHPCDKDBVKQ/ |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=26 March 2003 |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> This paralleled the mutual dislike previous left-leaning Prime Ministers [[Gough Whitlam]] ([[Australian Labor Party]]) and [[Norman Kirk]] ([[New Zealand Labour Party]]) had for each other. Whitlam and Kirk had both become prime minister in 1972 after a lengthy period of conservative rule, but their governments lasted just 3 years, between 1972 and 1975. Both Fraser and Muldoon became prime minister in 1975, returning right-wing governance to [[Australasia]]. With their ideological preferences notwithstanding, the two men did not like each other from very early on, and grew to loathe one another to an undiplomatic degree. This was likely entirely caused, and then exacerbated, by Muldoon's animosity toward Fraser.<ref name=":53" /> The elder statesman, Muldoon was blatantly patronising and rude to Fraser, and even [[Bullying|bullied]] him on repetitive occasions. He also made bigoted remarks towards Australians in Fraser's company, and was known to repeatedly claim that New Zealanders migrating to Australia "raised the IQ of both countries". Muldoon often boasted to Fraser about the slow and costly process of Australia importing New Zealand goods, claiming on one occasion that New Zealand had "screwed the Aussies again" and would always get the upper hand.<ref name=":53" /> Even when negotiating and agreeing to [[Closer Economic Relations]] (CER), the most sweeping [[free trade agreement]] between Australia and New Zealand ever signed up to that point, Muldoon and Fraser refused to engage directly. Their relationship reached a nadir in 1982, during the [[Pacific Islands Forum]] in Rotorua. Both men were staying at the same hotel, with Muldoon's room directly below Fraser's. According to future Australian [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] [[Alexander Downer]], then a political aide, Fraser snapped and physically lost his temper during a late night policy meeting. Downer recalled in 2003 that the usually patient Fraser suddenly began jumping up and down and swearing loudly "in the hope that he would wake Sir Robert from his sleep, just for the sake of it".<ref name=":53" />

Despite Muldoon's tactless behaviour, Fraser harboured gratitude for him out of his belief that Muldoon had [[Lifesaving|saved his life]] in 1978. According to Fraser himself, this was because Muldoon had inadvertently prevented Fraser from being killed in the 1978 [[Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing]]. The hotel was the venue for the first [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting]], a regional offshoot of the biennial [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting|meetings of the heads of government]] from across the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. Fraser recalled that Muldoon had demanded that Fraser change the meeting venue in the hotel from the front to the back, to avoid a group of young, female [[reproductive rights]] protestors. They had travelled especially from New Zealand for the event, to demonstrate against Muldoon's refusal [[Crimes Act 1961|to legalise abortion]]. Fraser, likely considering how Muldoon had physically attacked political demonstrators before,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1974-08-26 |title=Party Leader Punches New Zealand Hecklers. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/26/archives/party-leader-punches-new-zealand-hecklers.html |access-date=2022-07-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="stuff.co.nz3">{{Cite web |date=14 February 2017 |title=Feisty, protectionist populism? New Zealand tried it |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/89419135/feisty-protectionist-populism-new-zealand-tried-it |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> understood that giving him a hostile welcome would be a poor decision. Arguing that it would not look good and could likely provoke New Zealand, he agreed to move the meeting place to the back entrance. Doing so moved Fraser, other leaders and the media away from the original entrance, where that night, a bomb exploded in a bin that was being emptied, killing two rubbish collectors and a policeman.<ref name="Fraser Says">{{Cite news |title=Fraser says Muldoon saved his life - in a weird way |language=en |author=NZPA |publisher=[[Newshub]] |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/general/fraser-says-muldoon-saved-his-life--in-a-weird-way-2009010119 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507205836/https://www.newshub.co.nz/general/fraser-says-muldoon-saved-his-life--in-a-weird-way-2009010119 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 May 2023 |year=2009 |access-date=2022-07-02}}</ref> Malcolm Fraser and others theorised that the bomb was planted out the front to assassinate Indian Prime Minister [[Morarji Desai]] (although this was never proven) and that if he had walked down to greet Desai as he exited his vehicle at the original entry point, the bomb would likely have been triggered, exploding and killing them both. He later told ''[[The Australian]]'' in 2009: "I really believe to this day that, in a weird way, Morarji Desai and I probably owe our lives to Robert Muldoon."<ref name="Fraser Says"/>

Despite Fraser's unwilling gratitude to Muldoon, the two men seemed to dislike each other so much by 1983 that when the time came to ratify CER, they refused to do it together. Instead, the deal was signed by the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia]] and [[Minister for Trade (Australia)|Minister for Trade]], [[Lionel Bowen]] and the New Zealand [[High Commissioner]] to Australia, [[Laurie Francis]].

====Foreign exchange and constitutional crises====
{{Main|1984 New Zealand constitutional crisis}}
A final controversy occurred during the course of the election and transfer of government: during early 1984 [[Roderick Deane]], then Deputy Governor of the [[Reserve Bank of New Zealand]], became concerned that the New Zealand dollar (which had a fixed exchange-rate to the US dollar) had become significantly overvalued and was vulnerable to currency speculation on the financial markets in the event of a "significant political event".{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=69}} This was exacerbated by media speculation following a leak that an incoming Labour administration would be likely to significantly devalue the NZ dollar upon election. The Reserve Bank counselled Muldoon that the dollar should be devalued. Muldoon ignored the advice, owing to his belief that it would hurt poor New Zealanders in the medium term, and in June 1984 announced the snap election mentioned above which, as predicted, caused an immediate run on the dollar.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=388–389}}

Following the election the controversy became a [[constitutional crisis]]: Muldoon refused to do as the incoming government instructed, causing the currency crisis to worsen. Eventually he relented however, after his position as leader of the National party was threatened by members of his caucus.<ref name="mclay">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10830093|title=McLay: My plan to replace Muldoon|last=Young|first=Audrey|date=28 August 2012|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref>

After nine years, Muldoon's stewardship of the nation and its economy ceased. The newly elected neo-liberal and unexpectedly pro-free market Fourth Labour Government embarked on a series of fundamental free-market reforms known (after Labour's finance minister [[Roger Douglas]]) as [[Rogernomics]], and which were then continued from 1990–94 by the succeeding National government's policies known as (after National's finance minister [[Ruth Richardson]]) as [[Ruthanasia]], which marked a fundamental break with the more interventionist policies of Muldoon's era.{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=71}}

==Later life==
Muldoon was deposed as National leader shortly after the election by his deputy, [[Jim McLay]]. After being defeated in the ballot Muldoon was asked whether he was going to be a thorn in McLay's side, to which he replied "More like a little prick."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12111106 |title=Australian leadership becomes a toxic waste dump |first1=Barry |last1=Soper |author-link1=Barry Soper |date=22 August 2018 |access-date=22 August 2018 |publisher=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref> He refused McLay's offer of a front bench post, instead opting to return to the backbench for the first time in over two decades. However, he continued to openly agitate against McLay, refusing to withdraw into an "elder statesman" role as McLay wanted. The relationship between the two bottomed out when Muldoon criticised the entire party leadership, forcing McLay to demote him to the lowest rank in the National caucus.

Muldoon continued to undermine McLay until 1986, when McLay was ousted in turn by his own deputy (and Muldoon's preferred candidate), [[Jim Bolger]], who had served as Minister of Labour for the latter half of Muldoon's term as prime minister. Bolger returned Muldoon to the front bench as spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, pitting him directly against Prime Minister [[David Lange]].{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=209}}

Muldoon remained as the MP for Tamaki until shortly before his death. He lived through the [[Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand|Fourth Labour Government]]'s [[neo-liberal]] reforms, known as "[[Rogernomics]]", and to his dismay – to see his own man, Bolger, take up the same baton after winning the [[1990 New Zealand general election|landslide election of 1990]] in the form of "[[Ruthanasia]]", named after Finance Minister [[Ruth Richardson]]. Muldoon was a staunch critic of Richardson's and the Bolger government's policies.<ref name="TeAra"/>

Muldoon also opposed the legalisation of homosexual behaviour when Labour MP [[Fran Wilde]] introduced the [[Homosexual Law Reform Act|Homosexual Law Reform Bill]] in 1985. The Bill passed as the [[Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986|Homosexual Law Reform Act]] in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://votes.wotfun.com/mp/Robert+Muldoon/votes|title=Parliamentary Conscience Votes Database – Robert Muldoon|access-date=2 February 2015}}</ref>

Although he remained iconic to particular segments of society, particularly the elderly, Muldoon faded quickly as a force on the political scene. His biographer, [[Barry Gustafson]], who described himself as not a Muldoon supporter, wrote that he still served as an active MP for his Tamaki electorate, dealing immediately with matters from all walks of life. He continued to write in international economic journals,{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} arguing that the unemployment that had arisen as a result of the free market reforms was worse than the gains that were made, a view that came to be popular by the time of the [[Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand|Fifth Labour Government]] in 1999.

=== Financial troubles, media career, and split from National ===
After his tenure as prime minister, the Muldoons were heavily in debt. Muldoon was furious with [[New Zealand Party]] founder [[Bob Jones (businessman)|Bob Jones]] for [[Vote splitting|splitting the vote]] in 1984; Muldoon labelled Jones a [[Spoiler effect|spoiler]] and took him to court.<ref>''The New Zealand Party'' by Peter Aimer in ''New Zealand Politics in Perspective'' edited by Hyam Gold (1985, 1989, 1992; Auckland)</ref> A series of court battles with the millionaire, in which each sued the other for defamation, had left Muldoon with considerable legal fees to pay.  As a result of his financial desperation, he capitalised on his abrasive persona by having a short stage career, appearing in a New Zealand production of ''[[The Rocky Horror Show]].'' Held at Auckland's His Majesty's Theatre (demolished soon after the production ended),{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=209}} Muldoon played off his novelty and starred as the narrator, starring alongside a young [[Russell Crowe]], then going by the stage name of "Russ Le Roq".<ref>Barry Gustafson. 'Muldoon, Robert David', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2010. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, <nowiki>https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/6m1/muldoon-robert-david</nowiki> (accessed 2 April 2024)</ref> He also had minor television appearances on commercials for [[Panasonic]] (when it changed its brand name in New Zealand from "National") and in the television series ''[[Terry and the Gunrunners]]'' (as Arnos Grove) and in ''The Friday Frights'' (as the vampiric host 'Count Robula'); he also hosted a [[talkback radio]] show entitled ''Lilies and Other Things'', referencing his favourite flower on [[Radio Pacific]].{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=209}}

In his later years Muldoon's health declined as he suffered from a number of ailments, and became increasingly opposed to his successor, [[Jim Bolger]]. Alienated from National and disenchanted with government's new neoliberal economic policies (dubbed "[[Ruthanasia]]" after Minister of Finance Ruth Richardson),{{sfn|Wolfe|2005|p=209}} Muldoon announced his resignation to the party caucus on 10 November 1991.<ref name="TeAra"/>

On his Radio Pacific show, on 17 November 1991, Muldoon announced he would stand down from Parliament; he formally retired one month later, on 17 December. His retirement party featured taped speeches from [[Ronald Reagan]] (commenting that at Muldoon's age, he was only getting started) and [[Margaret Thatcher]]. One of the people organising the party was Bob Jones, who had forgiven Muldoon for their previous falling out.{{sfn|Bob Jones|1997|p=?}} A [[1992 Tamaki by-election|by-election was held in February 1992]], and was won by National's [[Clem Simich]] on a reduced majority.

=== Death ===
{{multiple image
|direction = vertical 
|image1 = Rob Muldoon grave distant.jpg
|caption1 = Muldoon's gravestone
|image2 = Rob Muldoon gravestone close.jpg
|caption2 = The plaque on the gravestone
}}

Muldoon fell seriously ill almost immediately after his retirement, and died in hospital on 5 August 1992, aged 70. After a state funeral in the Auckland Town Hall on 7 February 1992,<ref name="TeAraThea" /> he was buried at [[Purewa Cemetery]], [[Meadowbank, New Zealand|Meadowbank]], Auckland,<ref>{{cite web |title=Muldoon, (Sir) Robert David |url=https://purewa.co.nz/notable-grave/muldoon-sir-robert-david/ |website=Purewa Cemetery |access-date=5 March 2022}}</ref> in a plot that faces [[Auckland CBD]]. His wife, [[Thea Muldoon|Dame Thea Muldoon]], died on 24 February 2015, at the age of 87.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dame Thea Muldoon has died |url=https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/lady-thea-muldoon-has-died-169183 |access-date=5 March 2022 |work=[[National Business Review|NBR]] |date=25 February 2015 |language=en}}</ref>

== Honours ==
On 18 March 1981, Muldoon was bestowed with the mātai, or [[Faʻamatai|Samoan chiefly title]], of Leasapai.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leulua'iali'iotumua Pili Palemia o Niu Sila ae ole matai Samoa – Samoa Times: Samoan Community Newspaper |url=https://www.samoatimes.co.nz/leuluaialiiotumua-pili-palemia-o-niu-sila-ae-ole-matai-samoa/ |access-date=2025-03-13 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicholson |first=John |title=Dancing the siva |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/21287/dancing-the-siva |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=teara.govt.nz |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga |language=en}}</ref> He is the first New Zealand Prime Minister to have been awarded this honour.

Muldoon was appointed an [[Order of the Companions of Honour|Additional Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour]] in the [[1977 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours]],<ref>{{London Gazette
| issue = 47237
| date = 11 June 1977
| page = 7127
| supp = 4
}}</ref> and a [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]] in the [[1984 New Year Honours (New Zealand)|1984 New Year Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette
| issue = 49584
| date = 31 December 1983
| page = 33
| supp = 2
}}</ref> He was only the second New Zealand prime minister (after Sir [[Keith Holyoake]]) to receive a knighthood while still in office; at the time he said, "If anyone thought it was a signal of an early retirement, it is not."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barber |first1=David |date=9 January 1984 |title=New Zealand's prime minister denies that knighthood marks sunset of his career |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1984/0109/010931.html |access-date=1 December 2018 |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |quote=Only one other prime minister was so honored while still in office: Keith Holyoake, in 1970.}}</ref>

==Public image and legacy==
[[File:Backbencher - IMG 6229.jpg|thumb|upright|Caricature of Muldoon in ''Backbenchers'' bar in [[Wellington]]]]
Muldoon was a polarising figure while in power, and remains one to this day. During his time in power he regularly eschewed formality, which included punching political demonstrators and stripping naked at a cocktail party.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} Praised for his [[Populism in New Zealand|populist]] appeal, he shaped his reputation as a rough, tough, and thoroughly cantankerous politician through his self-determination, even at the risk of his own political longevity. He became the first prime minister to use television as a medium to gain widespread support, and eagerly used it to attack and insult his opponents.<ref name=":4"/> Muldoon openly used [[Homophobia|homophobic]] language,<ref name="25 years">{{Cite web |last=Rothwell |first=Kimberley |date=2011-07-08 |title=25 years of gay rights in New Zealand |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5259144/25-years-of-gay-rights-in-New-Zealand |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Geoff |date=2018-04-13 |title=When being in love was a criminal act |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/103081684/when-being-in-love-was-a-criminal-act |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref> and he refused to legalise male homosexual activity and abortion, both [[Crimes Act 1961|crimes at the time]].<ref name="25 years"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/29024/abortion-conference |title=Abortion - Controversy: 1974 to 1980s - Abortion conference |first1=Megan |last1=Cook |date=8 November 2018 |access-date=20 June 2022 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> However, after the ''[[New Zealand Truth]]'' attempted to [[Outing|out]] his youngest MP [[Marilyn Waring]], the 26-year-old [[Baby of the House]], Muldoon moved swiftly to minimise publicity and protect her.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=196}}

Muldoon famously declared upon becoming prime minister that he hoped to leave New Zealand "no worse off than I found it".{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=22}} Historians such as Gustafson and [[Brian Easton (economist)|Brian Easton]] criticise Muldoon because, according to them, he pursued an ultimately unsustainable line of policy.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=?}}{{sfn|Easton|2001|pp=239–253}} Former Cabinet Minister [[Hugh Templeton]] argued Muldoon's lack of "strategic vision" denied New Zealand a careful, measured economic restructuring that paved the way for Rogernomics.<ref>{{cite book|title=All Honourable Men: Inside the Muldoon Cabinet, 1975–1984|author=[[Hugh Templeton]]|publisher=[[University of Auckland]]}}</ref>

Muldoon enjoyed engaging positively with [[Gangs in New Zealand|criminal gangs]] such as [[Black Power (New Zealand gang)|Black Power]],{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} and made uncouth public statements that emphasised "[[bloke]]iness". Both his physical appearance (with his distinctive facial scar) and personal style led to the nicknames "Scarface" and "Piggy" – both of which he appropriated himself.<ref name="TeAra"/> Muldoon became patron of the Black Power gang for whom he had created work schemes and advised on the better treatment of women and children associated with the gang.{{sfn|Gustafson|2000|p=426}} Members paid him solemn respect by performing a [[haka]] during his funeral in 1992.<ref name="TeAraThea"/> For his acrimonious behaviour he was also dubbed a "bully",{{sfn|Russell|1996|p=29}} and posthumously he was said to have "run the country like a gang" himself.<ref>{{Cite news|title='They were very similar' – Black Power gang leader's brothers talk about his dealings with Sir Robert Muldoon|language=en-NZ|work=TVNZ|url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/they-were-very-similar-black-power-gang-leaders-brothers-talk-his-dealings-sir-robert-muldoon|access-date=24 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/gangs/page-5|title=Gangs - Gangs and society |first1=Greg |last1=Newbold |first2=Rāwiri |last2=Taonui |date=5 May 2011 |access-date=24 July 2021 |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Shroff|first=Marie|year=2005|title=The Official Information Act and Privacy: New Zealand's Story|url=http://www.privacy.org.nz/assets/Files/67725421.pdf}}</ref>

Muldoon's shunning of intellectualism in favour of intimidating, raging against so-called "elites", and blatant, manipulative populism has led him to be called a forerunner to the likes of [[Donald Trump]], [[Tucker Carlson]] and [[Silvio Berlusconi]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 March 2017|title=For comparisons sake, Berlusconi trumps Muldoon|url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/politics/page/for-comparisons-sake-berlusconi-trumps-muldoon-summer-newsroom|access-date=24 July 2021|website=Newsroom|language=en-AU}}</ref><ref name=":4"/><ref name="TeAra"/> Both Muldoon and Trump pursued populist protectionist methods aimed at creating both full employment and self-sufficiency and promoted anti-immigration policies, while demonstrating aggressive and tactless personal behaviour.<ref name=":4"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-02-13/feisty-protectionist-populism-new-zealand-tried-that |title=Feisty, Protectionist Populism? New Zealand Tried That |author=Cowen, Tyler |publisher=Bloomberg |date=14 February 2017 |access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref>

===In popular culture===
[[File:Street graffiti of Muldoon.jpg|thumb|upright|Street graffiti of Muldoon in [[Auckland]]]]
* Muldoon was frequently lampooned in the TVNZ-produced satire show ''[[David McPhail|McPhail]] & [[Jon Gadsby|Gadsby]]'' during the 1980s.<ref name=":0" />
* American President [[Ronald Reagan]] would sometimes mistake the last name of Canadian Prime Minister [[Brian Mulroney]] to be Muldoon after changes in government in both New Zealand and Canada in 1984,<ref>{{cite news |last1=MacQueen |first1=Ken |title=A ringing slap at success |url=https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1986/3/31/a-ringing-slap-at-success |access-date=1 July 2020 |work=[[Maclean's]] |date=31 March 1986}}</ref> with many Canadian political cartoonists taking up on this error and referring to Mulroney as 'Muldoon'.<ref>{{cite news |title=Opinion: The one we love to hate was our best leader in years |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/the-one-we-love-to-hate-was-our-best-leader-in-years/article726786/ |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=15 December 2007 |language=en-CA}}</ref>
* In 1995, actor [[Ian Mune]] played Sir Robert Muldoon in the made-for-television mini-series ''Fallout'', depicting the end of the Muldoon National Government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fallout {{!}} Series {{!}} Television |url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/fallout-1994/series |website=www.nzonscreen.com |publisher=[[NZ On Screen]] |access-date=12 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
* A corner on the Remutaka Hill Road section of [[New Zealand State Highway 2|State Highway 2]] has been named after the former prime minister.<ref>[http://www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/muldoons-corner-work-set-to-begin-august-31/3902467/ Muldoon's Corner work set to begin 31 August – Local News – Wairarapa Times-Age<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://moonovermartinborough.com/2009/04/30/conquering-the-road-that-scared-me/#more-155 Conquering the road that scared me « Moon over Martinborough<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Safety work carried out between 2009 and 2012, costing NZ$16.5 million, included realignment to ease the corner.<ref>[http://www.transport.govt.nz/news/newsevents/Muldoon%E2%80%99sCornerrealignmentworkbegins/ Muldoon's Corner realignment work begins<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/6923452/Muldoons-16m-corner-opens-after-three-years |title=Muldoon's $16m corner opens after three years |date=15 May 2012 |work= Dominion Post |access-date=10 February 2013 |first=Michael |last=Forbes}}</ref>
* On 8 January 1977 when he was at [[Piha]] Beach for the re-opening of the [[Piha Surf Life Saving Club]] club-house after the Project 40 rebuild, he joined the [[Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust|Auckland Rescue Helicopter]] lifeguards jumping into the surf from the helicopter. He was lifted out of the water and transported back to the beach slung under the helicopter using the rescue strop connected into the cargo hook.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.piha.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Short-surf-club-history1.pdf|title=Piha Surf Life Saving Club – Guardians of the Iron Sands|access-date=4 October 2013}}</ref>
*During Robert Muldoons term there were a few songs that charted that referenced him the first in 1975 was "The Ballad of Robbie Muldoon" by Gray Bartlett and Brendan Dugan which reach #4 on the [[Official Aotearoa Music Charts|NZ top 50]].<ref>https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/artists/gray-bartlett-and-brendan-dugan/wslhgetsczna/singles</ref> Another charting single was "Culture" by [[The Knobz]] in 1980 it peaked at #5.<ref>https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/artists/the-knobz/pywcfkicgfiw/singles</ref> It was a protest song based on Robert's refusal to remove a 40% tax on locally recorded music. The subsequent year the tax was lifted.<ref>https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/555266?page=1&rtp=1&ros=1&asr=1&assoc=all&mb=o</ref> In 1981 the song by [[Blam Blam Blam]] called "No Depression in NZ" peaked at #11.<ref>https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/artists/blam-blam-blam/stxqbpycdbfz/singles</ref> The song was a jab at the Muldoon government as well as the [[1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States|springbok tour]] of the time.<ref>https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/no-depression-new-zealand</ref>

==See also==
*[[Electoral history of Robert Muldoon]]
*[[Political history of New Zealand]]

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Anae |first=Melanie |editor-first=Mallon |editor-last=Sean |title=Tangata O Le Moana: New Zealand and the People of the Pacific |publisher=Te Papa Press |year=2012 |chapter=Overstayers, Dawn Raids and the Polynesian Panthers |isbn=978-1-877385-72-8}}
*{{Cite book | last      = Bohan | first     = Edmund | url       = https://books.google.com/books?id=ijCGmSeVp6AC | title     = Burdon: a man of our time | publisher = Hazard Press | year      = 2004 | isbn      = 978-1-877270-90-1 | oclc      = 62718931}}
* {{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Chapman|1980}}|author= [[George Alan Chapman|George Chapman]]|title=The Years of Lightning|year=1980|isbn=0589013467|publisher=AH & AW Reed Ltd|location=Wellington}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Clark|editor-first=Margaret|title=Muldoon Revisited|location=Palmerston North|publisher=Dunmore Press|isbn=0864694652|date=2004}} [''The revised proceedings of a conference on Muldoon held at [[Victoria University of Wellington]] during 2002.'']
* [[Brian Easton (economist)|Easton, Brian]]
**{{cite book | ref        ={{sfnRef|Easton|2001}} |title      = The Nationbuilders | url        = https://books.google.com/books?id=B2bjAAAAMAAJ | access-date = 2 June 2013 | year       = 2001 | publisher  = [[Auckland University Press]] | location   = [[Auckland]] | isbn       = 1-86940-260-X}}
**{{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Easton|1981}}|title=Pragmatism and Progress: Social Security in the Seventies|publisher=[[University of Canterbury]]|location=[[Christchurch]]|date=1981|isbn=0900392282}}
*[[Barry Gustafson|Gustafson, Barry]]
**{{cite book|title=His Way: A Biography of Robert Muldoon|date=2000|publisher=[[Auckland University Press]] |location=[[Auckland]] |isbn=1-86940-236-7|first=Barry|last=Gustafson|authorlink=Barry Gustafson}}
**{{cite book|editor1-first=Alex |editor1-last=Trapeznik |editor2-first=Aaron |editor2-last=Fox |title=Lenin's Legacy Down Under: New Zealand's Cold War |publisher=University of Otago Press |location=[[Dunedin]] |year= 2004|chapter=Chapter 2: New Zealand in the Cold War World |isbn=1-877276-90-1|first=Barry|last=Gustafson|authorlink=Barry Gustafson}}
**{{cite book | author-link=Barry Gustafson| last=Gustafson | first=Barry | title=The First 50 Years: A History of the New Zealand National Party | year=1986 | publisher=[[Reed Methuen]] | location=Auckland | isbn=0-474-00177-6}} 
* {{Cite book|title=Two Titans: Muldoon, Lange and Leadership|last=Johansson|first=Jon|publisher=Dunmore Publishing Limited|year=2005|isbn=1-877399-01-9|location=Wellington}}
* {{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Bob Jones|1997}}|authorlink=Bob Jones (businessman)|first=Bob|last=Jones|title=Memories of Muldoon|location=Christchurch|publisher=[[Canterbury University Press]]|isbn=0-908812-69-8|year=1997}}
* {{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Lange|2005}}|author=[[David Lange]]|title=My Life|date=2005|publisher=Viking |isbn=0-670-04556-X}}
*{{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|McLean|2006}}|author=[[Gavin McLean]]|title=The Governors: New Zealand's Governors and Governors-General|publisher=[[Otago University Press]]|location=[[Dunedin]]|date=November 2006|isbn=1-877372-25-0}}
* {{Cite book|title=Muldoon: A Study in Public Leadership|last1=Moon|first1=Paul|author-link1=Paul Moon|publisher=Pacific Press|year=1999|isbn=0-9583418-7-7|location=Wellington}}
* Muldoon, R. D. 
** {{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Muldoon|1974}}|title=The Rise and Fall of a Young Turk|location=Wellington|publisher=A.H. & A.W. Reed|isbn=978-0589008734|date=1974}}
** <cite>Muldoon</cite>. Wellington: Reed, {{ISBN|0-589-01087-5}} (1977).
** <cite>My Way</cite>. Wellington: Reed, {{ISBN|0-589-01385-8}} (1981).
** <cite>The New Zealand Economy: A Personal View</cite>. Auckland: Endeavour Press, {{ISBN|0-86481-105-5}} (1985).
** <cite>Number <s>3</s>8</cite>. Auckland: Reed Methuen, {{ISBN|0-474-00220-9}} (1986).
* {{cite book|ref={{sfnRef|Russell|1996}}|author=Russell, Marcia|title=Revolution:New Zealand from Fortress to Free Market|publisher=[[Hodder Moa Beckett]]|date=1996|isbn=1869584287}}
*{{cite book| last1  = Parker | first1 = John  | title     = Frontier of Dreams: The Story of New Zealand—Into the 21st Century, 1946-2005 | publisher = TVNZ and Scholastic | place   = Auckland| year    = 2005}}
*{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=A.C. |title=New Zealand And The Soviet Union 1950–1991: A Brittle Relationship |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3fo4PxhXbI4C |year=2004 |publisher=[[Victoria University Press]] |location=[[Wellington]] |isbn=0-86473-476-X}}
*{{cite book |last=Wolfe |first=Richard |title=Battlers Bluffers and Bully-boys: How New Zealand's Prime Ministers Have Shaped Our Nation |year=2005
 |publisher= [[Random House, New Zealand]] |isbn=1-86941-715-1}}
*[[Spiro Zavos|Zavos, Spiro]]. <cite>The Real Muldoon</cite>. Wellington: Fourth Estate Books (1978).
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Robert Muldoon}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{DNZB|title=Robert David Muldoon biography|id=6M1|plainlink=y}} from the ''[[Dictionary of New Zealand Biography]]''
* [http://www.techhistory.co.nz/ThinkBig/Petrochemical%20Decisions.htm Think Big policy decisions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915074545/http://www.techhistory.co.nz/ThinkBig/Petrochemical%20Decisions.htm |date=15 September 2014 }}
* [http://archives.govt.nz/has/politicians-papers/robert-muldoon-official-biography Archives New Zealand – Robert Muldoon Official Biography]

{{S-start}}
{{S-par|nz}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Bob Tizard]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Tāmaki (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Tamaki]]|years=1960–1991}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Clem Simich]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-off}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Harry Lake]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]]|years=1967–1972<br />1975–1984 | rows=2}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Bill Rowling]]}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Bob Tizard]]}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Roger Douglas]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Jack Marshall]]|rows=2}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand]]|years=1972}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Hugh Watt]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)|Leader of the Opposition]]|years=1974–1975|}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Bill Rowling]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Bill Rowling]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Prime Minister of New Zealand]]|years=1975–1984}}
{{S-aft|after=[[David Lange]]}}

{{s-break}}
{{S-bef|before=[[David Lange]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)|Leader of the Opposition]]|years=1984|}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Jim McLay]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{S-ppo}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Jack Marshall]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[New Zealand National Party#Leadership|Leader of the National Party]]|years=1974–1984|}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Jim McLay]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{New Zealand prime ministers}}
{{Deputy Prime Ministers of New Zealand}}
{{NZ National Party}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muldoon, Robert}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:New Zealand people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Ministers of finance of New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand National Party MPs]]
[[Category:New Zealand National Party leaders]]
[[Category:Politicians from Auckland]]
[[Category:Prime ministers of New Zealand]]
[[Category:20th-century prime ministers of New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:New Zealand accountants]]
[[Category:People educated at Mount Albert Grammar School]]
[[Category:New Zealand members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Leaders of the opposition (New Zealand)]]
[[Category:Deputy prime ministers of New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour]]
[[Category:New Zealand anti-communists]]
[[Category:Burials at Purewa Cemetery]]
[[Category:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates]]
[[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1957 New Zealand general election]]
[[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1954 New Zealand general election]]