sentences:  He held positions as Minister of Health (1954–1957), Minister of Immigration (1954–1957), Attorney-General (1960–1969), Minister of Justice (1960–1969), Minister of Māori Affairs (1960–1969), and Minister of Island Territories (1963–1969).In 1961, Hanan and nine other National MPs (Ernest Aderman, Gordon Grieve, Duncan MacIntyre, Robert Muldoon, Herbert Pickering, Logan Sloane, Brian Talboys, Esme Tombleson and Bert Walker) crossed the floor and voted with Labour to abolish the death penalty for murder in New Zealand.As Minister of Justice, it was his responsibility to introduce the law to Parliament, but he did so by saying that he disagreed with it.