Ken Douglas: Traitor or Visionary?

Probably our [the Socialist Unity Party's] most successful recruiter ...

– Ken Douglas's description of Prime Minister Robert Muldoon

He ran perhaps the most extreme socialist party in the world, now he's welcomed to the board rooms in New Zealand ... extraordinary man, extraordinary journey.

– Joe Pope, Former Chair of the NZ Trade Development Board, on Ken Douglas

It was only very rich kids that had underpants in those days...

– Ken Douglas on starting at Wellington College, where third formers had the thread of their shorts removed as an initiation rite

The Māoris could take the rifles to North Africa, but not their rugby boots to South Africa. Why? What's going on here?

– Ken Douglas, on having his political consciousness awakened by the banning of Māori players from the 1960 All Blacks tour to South Africa

I think his contribution was to have kept it together in the most difficult times that any union movement in a developed democracy has ever had to face.

– Council of Trade Unions economist Peter Harris on Ken Douglas