A Celebration of the Life of the Right Honourable David Lange (extract),
TVNZ, 2005
Helen Clark’s understated speech doing all the things she does best: covering the bases; clarity. No one would suggest that her style was anywhere within the oratoric range of the man she is talking about, but if you analyse both the style and the words you realise that the performance builds, and is in the end very effective. In the situation where the audiences know the speaker, they will be listening with different expectations with respect different personalities (.ie. Robert Muldoon, a Governor General, an evangelist, a Rugby Union official etc.....)
“ I’d like to acknowledge the many member of David’s family who are here today; on stage Margaret, Peter, Annette and Roy, and extended family, colleagues, Sir Ed and Lady Hillary, Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa Misa Telefoni, many other distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen.
Over the past week letters of tribute to David Lange have poured into my office from around the world. Leaders in the Pacific especially regarded David as a true friend who understood their aspirations. There were others with whom he’d crossed swords, who respected his passion and his great powers of advocacy. David was, quite simply, an extraordinary New Zealander. He put our country on the map and he gave us great pride in being New Zealanders. His vision saw our small country stand up for big ideas, and for values critical to the survival of humankind.
Yet much as he rubbed shoulders with the world’s elites and our own, my sense is that David was always happiest back home in Mangere, close to Otahuhu where he grew up. He identified with Manukau City and with the multi-cultural society it became, with the waves of Maori migration from rural New Zealand which began after the war and the peoples of the Pacitic, coming from the ‘50s and ‘60s on. David maintained friendships across many communities, his great love of India was well known, and he was held in great respect there, as he was among the Indian community here in Auckland, which only a few weeks ago awarded him life membership of its organisation for his friendship.
David came to politics from the law, where he had established his reputation as a powerful advocate for marginalised people. His plea in mitigation, based on quick mastery of a brief, was legendary, and his ability to master complex detail and develop and articulate a case on his feet stood him in good stead in politics as well. His wit was legendary and he took as much delight in applying it to himself as to anybody else. We all have our favourite stories. Like David, as a big man, getting into a lift by himself when once in Japan and claiming that an automated voice demanded “Would one of you please get out?”
Even in these last, few especially difficult weeks with failing health. that ability to laugh and see the ironic side of even the most desperate situation never appeared to leave him. Indeed his courage during what was clearly great suffering was truly inspirational. For so many reasons today our service must be a celebration of David’s life, because he himself touched the lives of so many people, as a lawyer, as the local member of parliament, as Prime Minister and as one concerned about his fellow human beings. David hated injustice and he would go to considerable lengths to see that ordinary people got a fair go. David spent five of his 63 years as Prime Minister and close to one third of his life as a member of parliament. It is on these years that the public record and the commentary focuses and they were often difficult years but the many high points are there, alongside the lows.
Today we celebrate the highs, the pride, the elation of David at the peak of his powers, winning in 1984, taking the country with him to the Oxford Union and we celebrate the big man with the big voice, the big heart and the common touch. Few have the opportunity to lead their country and even fewer are memorable. David Lange will go down in history as a truly memorbale Prime Minister of New Zealand. He was an outstanding New Zealander who was proud of his country and proud to serve it.
I want to say to David’s family that many New Zealanders share your sorrow at this sad time. We share a deep sense of regret that David’s years among us were just too short. We know we will not see his like again, may he rest in peace.”
Discussion Points
- Emotive adjectives – powerful, extraordinary, legendary
- Lange’s qualities – passion, wit, powerful advocate, true friend
- Sir Ed – informality. A Kiwi ‘Sir’, but he’s still just one of us, like David Lange
- Emphasis on Lange’s humble, down to earth nature – grew up in Mangere etc. Provides examples of his ability to mix with people of all races, social backgrounds etc.
- “Powerful advocate of marginalized people” – link to Lange as PM: “our small country stand up for big ideas”
- Amusing anecdote re elevator in Japan – this self-effacing wit was with him until he died, Clark says.
- Use of personal pronouns, again emphasizing Lange was one of us, a man of the people: our, we, us etc.
- Balance – highs and lows
- A list showing his progression from lawyer to MP to PM to a man concerned with human beings. Suggesting that he possessed a quality that is more important than any office he held or title he wore.
- Figurative language – “taking the country with him to the Oxford Union”, the scene of one of Lange’s triumphs.
- Repetition/tricolon – “the big man with the big voice and the big heart”
- Footage of Clark hugging Lange – evidence of their relationship etc hence the tribute from her.
Over the shoulder camera shot to show the many people in the audience, emphasizing his popularity etc.
