King was born in Auckland in 1914. He had no secondary schooling and lived in a state house. He worked as a storeman in the Minties confectionary factory.
Political career
In both 1950 and 1953 King stood unsuccessfully on a Labour ticket for the Auckland City Council. King first stood for Parliament in Hobson in, coming second. He then represented the Waitemata electorate from 1954 to 1969, and the Birkenhead electorate from 1969 to 1975, when he was defeated by Jim McLay. In 1957 he defeated Robert Muldoon in his second attempt to enter parliament. Zavos says that King:
was a poor speaker, a tiny birdlike man, a storeman and packer before taking up politics... a shrewd operator, however, whose greatest strength was that he was aware of his limitations. He realised he could not match the expert debating techniques Muldoon had developed.
So King restricted himself to two campaign meetings, and the slight swing to Labour carried King back. He was described by contemporaries as "gentle and hard working". King was adept at engaging with labourers and factory workers more so than any of his more intellectual colleagues in caucus, who considered him a lightweight, but Warren Freer said he possessed the "common touch".
Cabinet Minister
King was Minister of Social Welfare, first under Norman Kirk, then under Bill Rowling for the duration of the Third Labour Government. He was noted by cabinet colleagues for his dedication to fulfilling all of Labour's election pledges regarding his portfolio, being said to "work like a beaver". Warren Freer stated "It seemed that no cabinet meeting could be held without another proposal from Norman in his desire to honour every promise involving social welfare and pensioners." He introduced new measures to help solo parents, pensioners, the disabled and at-risk youth. King introduced the Domestic Purposes Benefit, Christmas bonuses for beneficiaries, wheelchair access to buildings. He was particularly proud of the Children and Young Persons Act which reduced child abuse and juvenile offending by keeping children out of court. King felt almost a personal connection with the people who the payments were intended for as well as the hardships they faced which matched his own experiences earlier in his life.
