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34-553: The National Cabinet Minister Allan Highet coined the "Think Big" label in a speech to a National Party conference in 1977. Economist Brian Easton also used the term "think big" in describing economic strategies. Leader of the National Party Leader of the Opposition Prime Minister of New Zealand General elections In the late 1970s New Zealand's economy was suffering from

68-672: A 1955 by-election . In 1954, Highet won the National nomination for the Wellington Central electorate. Highet's opponent, Labour candidate Frank Kitts , went on to win the seat, and later became the longest-serving Mayor of Wellington . Highet moved to Auckland in the 1950s, becoming the senior partner in Highet and Toomey, an Auckland accounting firm. In 1960 he became general manager of L. J. Fisher and Co., Ltd and in 1962 he succeeded Hugh Watt to become executive director of

102-729: A BCom . Highet tried to enlist in the New Zealand Army in World War II , but was declined due to having suffered from tuberculosis in the 1930s. He served in the Home Guard , reaching the rank of captain. Highet practised as an accountant and businessman, and was active in the establishment of the Wellington division of the National Party. In the 1950s, Highet was a Wellington City Councillor after winning

136-473: A description of the government's then-ambitious major projects in the energy sector. Highet, as Minister of Racing, named the policy after Melbourne Cup-winning racehorse Think Big . Highet was considered to be a social liberal, and was among a handful of economically liberal members of Muldoon's cabinet. Highet was Sports Minister when cabinet decided to support the United States-led boycott to

170-502: A national scale until 22 June 1983. The policy had attempted to target inflation, but in turn reduced profitability for exporters unable to adapt prices. Approval of Think Big, at least during and soon after the time of its implementation, tended to rely on party affiliations (with National Party supporters backing the projects, while Labour Party supporters initially opposed them). Think Big projects became synonymous with further inflation and industrial trouble. Richard Prebble said to

204-784: A new royal warrant cancelling the 1975 and 1981 Warrants and instituting the Order and its associated Medal without sub-divisions. Also confirmed was the status of the Governor-General as both Principal Companion of the Order and as an "Additional Companion" in his or her own right. The monarch of New Zealand is the Sovereign Head of the order and those who are appointed as members are "Companions". Companions are classified into Ordinary, Extra, Additional, and Honorary members. Ordinary Companions are those being New Zealand citizens or citizens of Commonwealth realms. Ordinary membership

238-608: A reduction in the production of synthetic fuel; however, the industry still remained at large due to prior investment. New Zealand would abandon the manufacturing of synthetic petrol in February 1997, allowing the plant to switch the focus to methanol.. The construction of the Clyde Dam on the Clutha River formed part of a scheme to generate electricity for the national grid. A proposed smelter at Aramoana on Otago Harbour

272-458: A separate citizenship, and making British citizens legal aliens for the first time. In November 1979 Highet suggested that the design of the Flag of New Zealand should be changed, and sought an artist to design a new flag with a silver fern on the fly. The proposal attracted little support however. In 1977, Highet introduced the expression " Think Big " in a speech to a National Party Conference, as

306-463: Is limited to 50 appointments per annum. Members of the Royal Family can be named "Extra Companions". Those citizens of countries not sharing the monarch of New Zealand as their head of state may be appointed as "Honorary Companions". "Additional Companions" may be appointed in honour of important royal, state or national occasions. The Governor-General of New Zealand is an additional companion of

340-604: The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow . Government stepped in and threatened the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (NZOCGA) with funding cuts and cancelled leave for competitors who were in the public service . Highet appealed to the athletes to "think beyond [their] own hopes and ambitions ... any athletes who did go to the Olympic Games would be letting New Zealand down". Highet

374-638: The Waitangi Day Act 1976 , changing the name of the holiday from New Zealand Day back to Waitangi Day . In 1977, following a petition to the House, Highet introduced God Defend New Zealand , as New Zealand's official national anthem alongside God Save the Queen . As Minister of Internal Affairs, Highet oversaw the passage of the Citizenship Act 1977, establishing a New Zealand Citizenship as

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408-615: The balance of payments . The core Think Big projects included the construction of the Mobil synthetic-petrol plant at Motunui , the complementary expansion of the Marsden Point Oil Refinery near Whangārei , and the building of a stand-alone plant at Waitara to produce methanol for export. Motunui converted natural gas from the off-shore Maui field to methanol, which it then converted to petrol on-site. Declining oil prices rendered this process uneconomic and saw

442-652: The Auckland City Development Association. Highet was first married to Patricia Hoyles. In 1976, Highet married prominent New Zealand artist and television personality Shona McFarlane . Highet fathered one daughter in which they formed a bond later in life and ultimately became a grandfather. Highet was elected to parliament in the 1966 elections as MP for the Auckland electorate of Remuera , succeeding retiring speaker Ronald Algie . He defeated future colleague George Gair for

476-457: The Committee recommended that the Order and associated Medal be retained, but reconstituted without the sub-divisions should a new New Zealand Order of Merit be instituted. The New Zealand Order of Merit was subsequently instituted in 1996 and after 10 years of operation side by side, it was decided that the time had come to disestablish the two sub-divisions. In April 2007, The Queen signed

510-672: The House. Highet was born in Dunedin , the second son of David and Elsie Highet. He attended Otago Boys' High School . Highet's older brother, William Bremner Highet, was an Otago University scholar and professor of neurosurgery, who died when the Ceramic was sunk in 1942. Highet's uncle was Harry Highet , the civil engineer who designed the P-class sailing dinghy . Highet attended the University of Otago , from where he graduated with

544-586: The Labour Cabinet during the Māori loan affair : "Better to talk about the $ 7 billion that was borrowed (by Muldoon for Think Big) than about the $ 600 million that wasn’t." Allan Highet David Allan Highet QSO (27 May 1913 – 28 April 1992) was a New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1966 to 1984, representing the National Party for Remuera , holding the then largest majorities in

578-521: The Minister of Energy. He looked to the substantial reserves of natural gas under Taranaki and off its coast as an opportunity to bring life to the ailing economy. In 1979 the oil crisis worsened. During the first half of 1979 OPEC raised oil prices from US$ 12 a barrel to US$ 19 a barrel. The New Zealand government banned weekend sales of petrol. On 30 July 1979 the government introduced carless days , where private motorists had to choose one day of

612-1063: The National Youth Orchestra, and was a founding Director of the International Festival of the Arts. During his time as Minister for the Arts, Highet founded the New Zealand Film Commission , the Hillary Commission , and was actively involved in the organisation of the Historic Places Trust , the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra , the Royal New Zealand Ballet , and the Arts Council . In 1976, Highet introduced

646-541: The QSO in the male fashion when in uniform. Women have been known to wear it thus, even in civilian attire, such as Anne, Princess Royal in the otherwise male procession behind her father 's coffin. The Governor-General of New Zealand additionally wears the badge on a thin gold chain. With the change in name from the Queen's Service Order to the King's Service Order the insignia of the order has been updated accordingly. Since

680-609: The Queen%27s Service Order The King's Service Order (created as the Queen's Service Order in 1975 and renamed in 2024), established by royal warrant of Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, is used to recognise "valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or appointed office". This order

714-623: The aftermath of the 1973 energy crisis , from the loss of its biggest export market upon Britain's joining the European Economic Community , and from rampant inflation . In 1978 New Zealand faced a further crisis in oil-supply. OPEC continued to raise the price of oil . Then in 1979 the Iranian Revolution paralysed that country's oil-industry and 5.7 million barrels (910,000 m) of oil per day were withdrawn from world supply. In 1978 Bill Birch became

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748-471: The honours system at a time when only traditional British honours were available. It met the need for an honour to recognise voluntary service to the community and service through elected and appointed office. Both the Order and Medal are for civilians only and military service is not eligible. In 1995, the honours system was reviewed by the Prime Minister's Honours Advisory Committee. In its report,

782-488: The nomination as National's candidate for the seat. Highet was appointed to the Cabinet by Prime Minister Jack Marshall in 1971, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs , Minister of Local Government and associate Minister for Health and Social Welfare. The National Party lost the 1972 elections , and Highet was in opposition until 1975. When Robert Muldoon contested the leadership of the National Party in 1974, Highet

816-636: The order are made by royal warrant under the monarch's royal sign-manual and countersigned by the Principal Companion or the Secretary and Register in his or her place. Appointments are announced in the New Zealand Gazette . The insignia of the order is a stylised mānuka flower with five petals, which contains the effigy of the reigning monarch surrounded by a red circle inscribed FOR SERVICE — MŌ NGA MAHI NUI, crowned at

850-494: The order in her own right and is also the order's "Principal Companion". Former Governors-General or their spouses, may also be appointed as an "Additional Companion". The clerk of New Zealand's Executive Council , or another person appointed by the Sovereign Head, is the “Secretary and Registrar” of the Order. Companions are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "QSO". Before 2007, awards were distinguished between those made for "public" and "community service". Appointments to

884-568: The order was renamed the King's Service Order (KSO). The change in name will not apply retrospectively to previously awarded badges, or affect the associated post-nominals of the recipients. The King's Service Order (KSO), then known as the Queen's Service Order (QSO), was instituted by royal warrant dated 13 March 1975 and in an amending royal warrant dated 15 October 1981, as a single fourth-level Order sub-divided into two divisions: "For Community Service" and "For Public Services". Instituted under

918-430: The reasons Muldoon called a snap election. Highet retired from politics at the 1984 elections , at the age of 71. National Party member Doug Graham , who had unsuccessfully challenged Highet for the National Party nomination in 1981, won the selection, and succeeded Highet that year. In the 1986 New Year Honours , Highet was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services. Companion of

952-407: The same royal warrant was an associated Medal of the Order, designated The Queen's Service Medal (QSM), which ranks as a sixth level honour and, like the Order, had the same two sub-divisions. The title of the Order recognised the fact that Queen Elizabeth II was the first New Zealand monarch to be officially titled Queen of New Zealand . The Order and Medal arose out of the 1974–1975 review of

986-414: The top. The ribbon has a traditional Māori Poutama motif of black, white and red ochre ( kōkōwai ) diagonal 'steps' (signifying the growth of man, striving ever upwards) in the centre with red ochre stripes along each edge of the ribbon. The insignia is worn on the left lapel of the coat for men or from a ribbon tied in a bow at the left shoulder for women. As with other ribbon-born medals, women wear

1020-605: The week, on which they could not drive their motor vehicle. Heavy fines were imposed for motorists who were caught driving on their nominated carless day. The increases in oil prices substantially worsened the country's already precarious terms of trade . The cost of oil loomed as the major component of the New Zealand balance of payments deficit. Muldoon's administration intended the Think Big projects to reduce New Zealand's reliance on imports, especially oil, and thus improve

1054-663: Was Minister for Sport during the 1981 Springbok Tour . While Prime Minister Muldoon announced that the New Zealand Government would not intervene to stop the tour going ahead, Highet made public statements indicating that he could use his authority as Internal Affairs Minister, responsible for lotteries funding, to withdraw financial contributions to the New Zealand Rugby Union if the Tour proceeded. Highet suffered grave illness in early 1984, one of

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1088-492: Was created after a review of New Zealand's honours system in 1974. The King's Service Order replaced the Imperial Service Order in New Zealand. The original title of the Order recognised the fact that Queen Elizabeth II was the first New Zealand monarch to be officially titled Queen of New Zealand . On 3 May 2024, following the ascension of Charles III to the throne on the death of Elizabeth II ,

1122-448: Was never built—largely owing to resistance on the grounds of the environmental damage that would have been a consequence. New Zealand's economy suffered from the major investments made by the government. Investment incentives and macroeconomic ratios were heavily affected by the billions of dollars borrowed for the Think Big projects. On 27 September 1982, Muldoon introduced 'The Wage Freeze Regulations' that would freeze wages and prices on

1156-447: Was one of two National MPs to support Marshall. With the National Party winning the 1975 elections , Highet was appointed to Cabinet again, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Local Government, New Zealand's first Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Sport. Highet was particularly well regarded for his interest in the arts and sport, having been an opera singer and representative sportsman in his youth. Highet founded

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