Jack Luxton
John Finlay Luxton was a dairy farmer and New Zealand Member of Parliament.
Biography
Luxton was born in 1923 in Waitoa, between Morrinsville and Te Aroha. He attended the local primary school, followed by Hamilton's [Fraser High School|Hamilton Technical College]. After leaving school, he was a dairy farmer in Waitoa. He became prominent in the Waikato branch of Federated Farmers, serving as dominion councillor before his election to Parliament. He continued a family involvement with the Tatua Dairy Company as a director for several years.He entered Parliament as the result of the 1966 New Zealand general election as the National Party member for and then, after boundary changes for the, Matamata. He represented the predominantly rural electorate for 21 years to 1987. He was elected Chairman of [Committees (New Zealand House of Representatives)|Chairman of Committees] in 1976, a position he held until National's defeat in 1984. He was particularly interested in Pacific Island affairs, and in 1976 led a Government-sponsored tour of eight Pacific nations to investigate local industries, with a view to increasing New Zealand involvement there.
On his retirement from politics in 1987, his son John Luxton succeeded him in the Matamata electorate, from 1987 to 1999.
After politics, Luxton took an active part in his family's horticulture block in Katikati.
In the 1987 [Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|1987 Queen's Birthday Honours], Luxton was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services. He died in 2005, aged 82, in Morrinsville, and was survived by his wife, Margaret, and their four children.