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David Grant talks about former prime minister Norman Kirk. Upon his death on 31 August 1974 his body lay in state near the steps of Parliament. A kaumatua wailed 'the mighty totara has fallen'. The "mighty totara" reference has remained with Kirk ever since and is the title of David Grant’s 2014 biography.
Why was Kirk so beloved? And did his love of Coca Cola and fatty food lead to his untimely death at the age of just 51?
It’s David Lange who gets the credit for our ant-nuclear stance, but it was Norman Kirk who spearheaded it with his protest on the international stage about testing at Mururoa atoll.
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