New Zealand Herald political journalist John Armstrong dies, aged 68

Former New Zealand Herald political journalist John Armstrong has died, aged 68.

He had a distinguished career reporting and commenting on politics for 30 years until ill health forced him to retire in 2015.

His incisive writing earned him great respect among peers and politicians alike.

Armstrong began work in the parliamentary Press Gallery in 1985 for the New Zealand Press Association and he joined the Herald in 1987.

He worked for a decade as the Herald’s political editor. In 2003, a few years after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he became political correspondent.

He was a life member of the Press Gallery and was named best columnist in the 2013 Canon Media Awards. He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016 for his services to journalism.

He said at the time that having Parkinson’s had helped him to be more direct and bold in his writing because you never knew how long you would get to do the job.

During his career, he covered 10 general elections, 28 Budgets, and seven prime ministers – and he had the thrill of one encounter with Nelson Mandela on his visit to New Zealand in 1995.

In his farewell column in 2015, Armstrong touched on the many other big events during his years in the Press Gallery, including the tumult of the Fourth Labour government and backbench revolt in National over Ruth Richardson’s Mother of all Budgets.

He said Jim Bolger had been underrated as prime minister but Helen Clark and John Key shared the prize for best prime minister.

“Key may just outscore Clark as a consensus builder, but she had more intestinal fortitude when it came to pushing unpopular causes.”

Armstrong wrote that it had been a privilege to watch history in the making.

“Never forget that politics boils down to power – winning it and, just as importantly, retaining it.

“The fascination comes in watching how politicians play the game.”

He was an ardent soccer fan and followed the Phoenix and Ipswich Town, the team of Halesworth in Britain where he was born in 1954.

When he was aged 14, he moved to New Zealand with his parents and brother and settled in Hastings. He later studied at Canterbury University and after completing the university’s post-graduate journalism course in 1981 under Brian Priestley, he began his journalism career at the Christchurch Star.

He had been following the Fifa World Cup until his death on Saturday in Hutt Hospital.

Armstrong is survived by his partner, Anne Riley, and their adult children, Tim and Alice.