Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB Political Correspondent pays tribute to Sir Bob Jones

Prominent businessman, author and former politician Sir Robert Edward Jones —better known as Sir Bob Jones— has died. 

The 85-year-old died peacefully at his Wellington home surrounded by family after a brief illness. 

As recently as a few weeks ago, Jones was still writing on his ‘No Punches Pulled’ blog, calling US President Donald Trump “a world-class ignoramus”, and rallied against the “working from home racket” in his last blog on April 16. 

Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Matt Heath and Tyler Adams every conversation with Sir Bob was one to treasure and hard to forget. 

“He was deliberately obnoxious at times, but for those of us who knew him well, we knew the cut of the man’s cloth, and he was a thoroughly decent individual.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Breaking news in the last fifteen minutes. Sad breaking news
that Sir Bob Jones has passed away at the age
of eighty five. He passed away in his family home,
surrounded by his family members. A man that knew Sir
Bob Jones very well was our senior political correspondent, Barry Soaper,
who joins us now Barry, Good afternoon.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Good afternoon, so Barry, you knew Sir Bob both professionally
and personally.

Speaker 4 (00:41):
He is very sad to hear of his death. We
knew though for some weeks that he was Ailey and
I talked to one of his daughters this morning, and
you know, he at least died where he would have
wanted to die, and that's an his home and Lower Hut,
surrounded by his family. So for that, I'm sure Bob

(01:04):
would appreciate.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yeah, because it all started for him in Lower didn't it.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
Well, it all started for him really when back in
nine I and he was one of the original pupils
at nine I School and went on unlike most of
the others to the sixth form and then went to university,
which was sort of almost unheard of in those days.
But Bob was a man that never was one to

(01:33):
toe anybody's line. And the thing that I liked about him,
he was a person that always spoke his mind. And
you know, I've been at many dues, been around many
dinner tables, and had many conversations with Bob Jones, and
the conversations that you treasure because you'll never forget them.

(01:53):
Bob was a reverent he was you know, he was
deliberately obnoxious at times, but for those of us who
knew him well, we knew the cut of the man's cloth,
and he was a thoroughly decent individual.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Was he the same guy in private as he was
in public?

Speaker 4 (02:12):
Oh? Pretty much so. I mean, I remember when Bob
reached seventy, he said to me, Locke, when you get
to seventy, he said, speak your own bloody mind, because
you know you're at an age that you're entitled to
say what you think. And Bob, I don't think it
took him until he was seventy to say what he thought.

(02:33):
He basically let you know how he thought. And to
that end, of course, he let Muldoon. Rob Muldoon know
in the early eighties how he thought, he went out
and formed the New Zealand Party and collared twelve percent
of the vote. Now you know it was the oh

(02:54):
he would have been most unsuited as an MP. But nevertheless,
mose days it was first past the post. But it
saw the end of Rob Muldoon and his government in
the beginning of the longy Labor government whose policies under
Rogernomics Bob Jones light. But you know when it came

(03:14):
to Muldoon, even though there may have been enemies at
one stage, it was Bob along with Audrey Young, who
of course one of the senior correspondents for the Herald,
her father being Young. They put on a fearwell dinner
for Rob Muldoon in the Wellington Club and it was
really the most wonderful occasion. And Muldourne I had a

(03:39):
radio show in those days in the morning, and Muldourn
and Bob Jones came on the show the morning after
the dinner. Bob was traditionally running late, arrived there during
the ad break, but Muldoon was there and it's the
first time I've ever seen Muldoon cry, and he cried
over gratitude for Bob Jones and maybe how they should

(04:03):
never have had a falling out in the first place.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
Wow, there are some great Bob Jones stories over the
years and some great wounds around the eighty four election.
Anyone's specific ones that you can remember around that time.

Speaker 4 (04:16):
Well, I remember the foundation of the New Zealand Party
and it was a wonderful for the media because the media.
I don't think I've ever been looked after as well
at any political conference. That the wine and the beer
flowed throughout the conference. The food was sublime. So Bob

(04:38):
really knew how to look after the media, even though
he got frustrated with the media very much so from
time to time. But when it came when it came
to the election, you know, Bob was in his element
and he spoke when he was on stage very quietly
for him and quite deliberately. There was a man who

(05:01):
got his message across and no one left any meeting
not understanding what Bob Jones meant.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
I had a great story and you can maybe confirm
or deny this, but it was on the way to
a television debate and Bob Jones was going to debate
David Longi and Rob Muldoon and as he was being
driven in, Bob Jones noticed that he was had pulled
up beside the car of Rob Muldoon and for a joke,
he got his driver to give it a little bang.

(05:29):
He got a driver to turn into it and give
her a little bang, and then drove off. Do you
know if that's true?

Speaker 4 (05:37):
Well, I've heard the story, but look, I would have
my doubts about it because it will have been an
LTD in those days that Muldoon cohorts used to get
around it, and they were revered cards, and I think
it would take even somebody bigger than Bob Jones to
nudge one of those cars.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, he had obviously a compeative public image, Bowie, but
also a wicked sense of humor. But from what you're saying,
it sounds like he didn't hold a grudge if he
could help it.

Speaker 4 (06:09):
No, he didn't. Actually some people that he held a
grudge for, but probably the ones that he have grudges
were fairly deserved, I would imagine. But no, Bob was
not unlike dare I say it, another old mate who's
in politics, Winston Peters. That Peters and I have had,

(06:30):
you would have to say, a volatile relationship over the years.
But Bob, like Winston Peters, they generally wouldn't hold grudges
and would get over things. And Bob was very like that.
He wrote a very good column He used to write
very good columns up until relatively recently online and that

(06:54):
was rather ironic in itself. And that Bob he never
liked much to do with technology. And if you were
at a dinner table with him with a cell phone,
the likelihood is that the cell phone would end up
from the water jue. He hated them so much.

Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yeah, he once reached out to me though via email,
to complain about my grammar and an article I wrote
for the Herald. So he was very very staunch on grammar.
So you know, one of the most famous instants in
his in his legacy, I guess, is the Rod Vaughan situation.
How do you remember that going down back in the day.

Speaker 4 (07:33):
Well, I remember when Bob was he was convicted of
assault for it and find two thousand dollars and he
said to the judge, can I pay another two thousand
dollars and do it over again? Of course, you know,
great sad to hear. I don't know what the judge thought,
but he didn't allow him. It didn't allow him to
pay it. But no, again, it'll be interesting if Vard

(07:57):
was around, which I don't think he is unfortunately, but
he and Bob probably I would have imagined and patched
things up. Bob was really hoosed off about his fishing spot,
upset by the blades of a helicopter and that's what
really pissed him off, and that's why he said upon

(08:18):
the journalist.

Speaker 3 (08:18):
Well, he was a huge boxing enthusiast, Sir Bob Jones,
wasn't he? And that punch did actually break Rod Faughn's nose,
so he obviously had some skill. So that was a
lifelong love and he was involved and Joseph Parker early
on as well, wasn't he Bob Jones?

Speaker 4 (08:34):
Yes, Well, he started boxing when he was at university
and indeed he was the university lightweight boxing champion I
think for a number of years. So he was very
deaft with his fists, there's no doubt about that. But
the only time he used them, as to my knowledge
and anger, was against Rod Vaughan on that fateful day

(08:56):
and to rangie yees.

Speaker 3 (08:58):
So if you could and putting on the spot here,
you know, sum up your thoughts on sir Bob Jones,
you know, personally and publicly in a couple of seat,
it says, that would be awesome.

Speaker 4 (09:10):
Barry. Well, I'm very sadden that Bob is no longer
around because he was a character plus and a very
enjoyable company A laugh a minute, and I think the
world won't be quite the same, certainly for me, without
Bob Jones being in it.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yeah, Barry, thank you very much for having a chat
with us. Really appreciate it, and we'll catch up again soon.

Speaker 4 (09:36):
It's my pleasure. Chairs.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
That is News Talks EDB, Senior political correspondent of course,
Barry Soaper and a close friend of Sue Bob.

Speaker 1 (09:43):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen live on
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