Family Silver

Both a personal reminiscence and an addition to the historical record, this book offers new insights into the bitter debate over economic policy that swept New Zealand's Muldoon administration out of office in 1984 and ushered in the tumultuous reforms of the Lange government. Reflecting on the actions and motives of the country's leaders during that time, the author also describes his own role managing overseas borrowing and supervising the privatization of Air New Zealand, the Bank of New Zealand, Telecom, and NZ Rail. Throughout the book important national events are juxtaposed with scenes from the author's early life, showing that decisions often rest on lessons learned in childhood.