Editing Michael Joseph Savage (section)

==Legacy==

Michael Joseph Savage is admired from many sides of the political spectrum and is known as the architect of the New Zealand welfare state.<ref name="DNZB Savage" /> His Labour government provided the foundations of the [[post-war consensus#New Zealand|post-war consensus]], based upon the assumption that [[full employment]] would be maintained by [[Keynesian]] policies and that a greatly enlarged system of social services would be created.

He is considered by academics and historians to be one of New Zealand's greatest and most revered prime ministers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Who was our best Prime Minister? {{!}} Jesse Mulligan, 1–4pm, 2:30 pm on 8 September 2016 {{!}} RNZ|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/201815361/who-was-our-best-prime-minister|publisher=Radio New Zealand|date=8 September 2016}}</ref><ref name="Archives" /> Often called "Everybody's Uncle", his genial and charismatic personality,{{Tone inline|date=January 2023}} and his skills as an orator, were largely responsible for public acceptance of his government's radical policies. Exemplifying his enthusiasm for his government's policies, Savage personally assisted a family in Fife Lane, [[Miramar, New Zealand|Miramar, Wellington]], to move their furniture into the first of the government's 1930s state houses.<ref name="Stenson">Stenson, Marcia (2003). ''Illustrated history of New Zealand'' {{ISBN|9781869416027}}, p. 55</ref>

The iconic 1935 portrait of Savage was hung in many New Zealand homes in the 1930s and 1940s, and previous prime minister [[Jacinda Ardern]] had a framed copy in her [[Beehive (New Zealand)|Beehive]] office. In December 2020, the original [[Negative (photography)|negative]] of the portrait was discovered in [[Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa|Te Papa]]'s collections.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-06|title=Te Papa discovers original negative of famous Michael Joseph Savage portrait|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/123617330/te-papa-discovers-original-negative-of-famous-michael-joseph-savage-portrait|access-date=2021-03-24|website=Stuff|language=en}}</ref>

Savage served as patron of the [[New Zealand Rugby League]].<ref name="NZ_Herald_2998849">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=2998849 |title=Kiwi players let their hair down at Clark bash |author=Jessup, Peter |date=12 October 2002 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=25 October 2011}}</ref>

Savage was awarded the title of "New Zealander of the Century" by ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'' in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=NZer of the Year: Previous winners |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10360355 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=16 December 2005 |access-date=13 June 2018}}</ref>