Edward Emanuel Isbey (3 August 1917 – 25 July 1995) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Biography Early life and career Isbey was born in London in 1917, the son of Alec Isbey a tailor who immigrated from Lithuania. He received his education in London and gained a diploma in industrial management. During World War II, he served in the Merchant Navy. For 17 years he worked on a whale factory ship in the Antarctic Ocean. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1947. Isbey was a clothing factory manager from 1948 to 1953, then went into dairy farming in Mercer and later Hokianga, before working on the waterfront (1954–1969). In 1955 he stood successfully for election to the executive of the Auckland Watersiders Union and in 1956 he was elected vice-president before being elected president several months later after the sudden resignation of Bill Hooker. He was then elected the president of the New Zealand Watersiders Union, retaining the role for 11 years from 1959 to 1970 in conjunction with being the Auckland president for 12 years from 1956 to 1967. As president he led the Auckland Watersiders to affiliate with the Labour Party. In 1963 the union voted with a two-to-one majority to formally affiliate via a postal ballot. He was a close friend and associate of leading unionists such as Tom Skinner and Jim Knox. He was also the vice-president of New Zealand Rugby League and an administrator of several theatres in Auckland including the board of the Mercury Theatre and the Auckland Theatre Trust. He was also the chairman of the special committee of the New Zealand Shipping Corporation. Political career He joined the Labour Party upon arriving in New Zealand (his parents having been active members of the Labour Party in London) and served as a delegate to the Auckland Labour Representation Committee and later the Auckland Labour Regional Council. He was selected as the Labour candidate for the electorate of ahead of the . He was successful and resigned his trade union roles after entering parliament. Initially he found it hard to transition from a union spokesperson to a parliamentary backbencher. In the lead up to the Labour leader Norman Kirk sent Isbey to Tokoroa to pacify striking timber workers and prevent the issue interfering with the election. After Labour won the 1972 election, Isbey put himself forward for a seat in