One of New Zealand's most controversial Prime Ministers has died.
David Lange entered parliament as a Labour MP in 1977 after a by-election in the Auckland seat of Mangere. In 1979 he was elected deputy leader of the Labour party and he became leader of the party - and Leader of the Opposition - in February 1983.
At 42, Lange became New Zealand's youngest prime minister in July 1984 when the fourth Labour government was elected with a 17-seat majority after National Prime Minister Robert Muldoon called a snap election.
Lange also became minister of foreign affairs and drove New Zealand's nuclear free policy. He was responsible for the introduction of legislation confirming it in 1987.
The Lange government, which was re-elected to office with an increased majority in August 1987, also undertook a radical restructuring of the country's economy which became known as Rogernomics after the finance minister Roger Douglas.
During Lange's reign much of the family silver - state-owned assets like Air New Zealand and Telecom - was sold off. Post offices were closed and farmers lost their tax-payer subsidies. His government also gave the country the goods and service tax which was introduced at a rate of 10% and later raised to 12.5%.
The architects of the economic changes - Richard Prebble and Roger Douglas - were eventually sacked and in August 1989 Lange resigned as prime minister and from his cabinet responsibilities.
He was made a Companion of Honour in 1990 and retired from parliament at the general election of 1996.
The former prime minister was very conscious of his size and had a stomach-stapling operation in 1982 to curb his weight and appetite.
But opinion polls rated him as one of New Zealand's most popular leaders and he was renowned for his sharp wit.
Lange was born in Otahuhu, Auckland, on August 4, 1942 - the eldest of four children. He was educated in South Auckland and graduated in law from Auckland University in 1966. After two years travelling he practised as a lawyer in Kaikohe before returning to Auckland where he completed an LL.M with first class honours in criminal law and criminal behaviour.
He married Naomi Crampton in England in 1968 and they had three children, Rob, Byron and Emily. At the age of 47, Lange ended his marriage of 21 years and Naomi later said in a newspaper interview that her husband had developed a "fantasy thing" for his 37-year-old speechwriter, Margaret Pope.
He married Pope in 1992 and they had one child, Edith.
In August 2002, it was revealed Lange was having chemotherapy for a potentially fatal protein disorder, amyloidosis.
On July 21 this year his wife said he had been admitted to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital for complications of diabetes after being unwell for some time.
Last week he underwent elective surgery to amputate his right
leg below the knee.
