Though his wealth, military background, political, pastoral and business connections and manner might have suggested otherwise Pharazyn became a committed left-wing intellectual in the early 1930s. After the onset of the great depression he went to London in 1930, wrote and studied economics then next year spent a month in the Soviet Union getting back to New Zealand in mid 1932 where he became a member of the Friends of the Soviet Union (New Zealand section) and a member of its national committee. His main interest, journalism, led him to write for "Tomorrow" an independent left-wing weekly. He and his wife became members of the committee of the Workers' Defence Organisation. He disagreed with their economic policies but welcomed the new Labour government of 1935 though he attacked their compulsory unionism. During 1936 he resigned from the Friends of the Soviet Union in protest at Stalin's show trials. Pharazyn was asked by Fintan Patrick Walsh in 1936 to become secretary of the new Wellington Clerical Workers' Union. In 1938 Pharazyn obtained election as secretary of the New Zealand Federated Clerical and Office Staff Employees' Association and became the union's main spokesperson. In March 1940 he was called up for military service and appointed New Zealand's military attaché in Washington DC with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. After the war he resumed his union involvement but took less prominent roles. He provided much support for F P Walsh and following Walsh's defeat as clerical union president in 1960 Pharazyn ended his union and political involvement. His wife died of cancer in 1971 and Noel Pharazyn died in 1980 in his 87th year. There were no surviving children.