Sir Bob Jones' death 'huge loss for New Zealand', Prime Minister says

Sir Bob Jones is being remembered for his intellect, humour and as a complex character in tributes following his death.

The businessman and politician died in his home at the age of 85, the general manager of Robert Jones Holdings confirmed on Friday.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Sir Bob was "a living legend of New Zealand".

"To think, a guy who started off in a state house became one of our most successful business leaders, had an interlude and had a massive impact on a 1984 election with the New Zealand Party.

"He had just an acerbic wit and just a very, very quick and clever and highly intelligent man, so he's a huge loss for New Zealand and I really just wish him and his family nothing but the very, very best from all of us in New Zealand.

"He was just someone I admired hugely, because I came through a period in time where he was really at the forefront of New Zealand business in the late '80s and as a young kid learning economics and accounting, he was one of our sort of great business leaders, going off and doing quite bold things."

He said he had read some of Sir Bob's books, and recommended people read Wowser Whacking and Letters.

️ Sir Bob Jones has died.
A provocateur for liberty, a generous supporter of the Taxpayers’ Union, and the man behind some of Wellington’s finest quirks — from the “Save the krill, kill the whales” billboard to the “Toilet in 100m” signs pointing dutifully toward Parliament.
He… pic.twitter.com/cPgWUfs0i9

— New Zealand Taxpayers' Union (@TaxpayersUnion) May 2, 2025

On social media the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union posted "Rest in mischief, Sir Bob" saying New Zealand was duller without him.

Sir Bob "championed free speech, smaller government, and good humour in public life", as well as being "a generous supporter of the Taxpayers' Union", it said.

ACT Party leader David Seymour posted "RIP Sir Bob. The world is a duller place without you".

Blogger, pollster and political commentator David Farrar told RNZ's Afternoons he began reading Sir Bob's books when he was at school and thought they were hilarious.

"His book on travel in India, his books of letters where he would have a 18 month letter exchange with the secretary of transport over various parking or speeding tickets etc. He didn't dislike anyone in life except possibly traffic officers."

Sir Bob was known as an author, a businessman and as one of former prime minister Sir Robert Muldoon's greatest supporters.

Farrar said he met Sir Bob in person in 2005 when fighting the Electoral Finance Bill in an attempt to get him to reform the New Zealand Party on a one issue policy to get rid of the proposed law.

Sir Bob's stamina was incredible, Farrar said, and he would still be happily telling stories late into the night when those around him were flagging.

Farrar said after that he got to know Sir Bob quite well and set up a blog for him about eight years ago which allowed him to publish his thoughts himself as he said Sir Bob often got annoyed that the media were trying to censor his columns.

Sir Bob gave money to causes and helped fund about 150 refugee girls to go to university, Farrar said.

Some of the letters that were in books that he wrote in the 1980s were about people who were asking him for money, he said.

Usually he would say no to with humour.

"But sometimes you know, he had had these nuns write to him and he would tease the nuns for weeks and months mercilessly about their belief in God etc. But he'd then also say 'well yup send me the bill, I'll cover it'."

Sir Bob was a complex character who really liked to push people, Farrar said.

But Farrar said he did not believe it was done with cruelty.

"He had this huge irreverence for everything and he actually liked to offend people."

His support for Sir Robert Muldoon did not last.

"He was great mates with Muldoon and then he turned on him on policy reasons and he helped get Muldoon out of office, [Sir Bob's] New Zealand Party didn't get in to Parliament but won 12 percent of the vote, and Muldoon and Bob Jones pretty much hated each other after that."

By the time Sir Robert left Parliament no one wanted to organise anything for him as he was seen as a relic of the past, Farrar said.

But Farrar said despite the acrimony between the two men it was Sir Bob who "organised a surprise party for Muldoon with a who's who of New Zealand there" because Sir Bob did not think it was right that someone who had given their life to politics should fail to be recognised.

Despite never being in Parliament Sir Bob Jones had an impact on the political landscape, Farrar said.

He said the New Zealand Party was "unashamedly free market liberal democracy", but Sir Bob was also a pacifist and saw defence spending as a waste of time.

The one thing that could sum up Sir Bob Jones was his sense of humour, Farrar said.

One of the first books Sir Bob published was in 1973, a book called The First 12 Months, A Study of the Achievements of the Third Labour Government.

"It was 100 blank pages, beautifully bound though," Farrar said.

Broadcaster Anna Thomas posted one of her memories regarding Sir Bob Jones on Facebook.

Broadcaster Anna Thomas also remembers Sir Bob's sense of humour.

In a social media post Thomas said she was probably the only journalist to punch Sir Bob in the face - making reference to the infamous incident where Sir Bob punched journalist Rod Vaughan.

Thomas said she was asked to film Sir Bob giving Vaughan a message for his 50th birthday saying the pair had not spoken since the infamous event.

Sir Bob came up "with the bright idea that I should punch him, as payback on Rod's behalf", she said.

So armed with fake blood, she knocked at his door and did just that.

"He was a natural actor, got fake blood down his face and shirt, and apparently the message went down a treat at Rod's birthday party. They became friends after that," Thomas said.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.