Fred Gerbic


Frederick Miroslav Gerbic was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life and career

Gerbic was born in Kaitaia in 1932. He married Joy Constance Nisbet and had three children together.
He was involved in the Labour Party and became the chairman of the New Lynn electorate. He resigned as chairman in 1966 in protest of the party head office forcing the retirement of New Lynn MP Rex Mason.

Member of Parliament

He was elected in the ensuing by-election to replace Frank Rogers in the seat of Onehunga when Rogers died in 1980. After winning the Labour nomination, Gerbic took a leave of absence from his job as an Industrial Conciliator. As he was not classified as a civil servant under the electoral act he was not obliged to resign his position. He was cautioned in regards to his role by the Minister of Labour Jim Bolger on his future as an Industrial Conciliator in the event he lose the election. Bolger's warning was made in retaliation to Gerbic's criticisms of the government's response to an industrial dispute holding up construction of the Mangere Bridge.
After the he was appointed as an undersecretary to the Ministers of Immigration, Transport, Civil Aviation and Meteriological Services. Gerbic was later a Minister without Portfolio, outside of cabinet, towards the end of the Fourth Labour Government. He was associate minister of Immigration, Transport, Civil Aviation and Meteriological Services from 9 February 1990 to 2 November 1990.
Parliamentary colleague Michael Bassett described Gerbic as a "boss' man" who would always take the side of whoever was leader. He retired from politics in 1990, when he was defeated by National's Grahame Thorne.

Later life and death

Following politics he worked for an immigration consultancy firm with former National MP Aussie Malcolm.
In the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours, Gerbic was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for public services.
Gerbic died at his home in Hillsborough on 29 October 1995 whilst mowing his lawn.