David Butcher
David Butcher | |
---|---|
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hastings | |
In office 1978–1990 | |
Preceded by | Bob Fenton |
Succeeded by | Jeff Whittaker |
52nd Postmaster-General | |
In office 5 November 1988 – 14 August 1989 | |
Prime Minister | David Lange Geoffrey Palmer |
Preceded by | Richard Prebble |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | David John Butcher 19 September 1948 Brighton, England |
Nationality | New Zealander |
Political party | Labour |
Spouse(s) | Mary Georgina Hall (m. 1980) |
Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington |
David John Butcher (born 19 September 1948) is a former New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was a Cabinet minister in the Fourth Labour Government.
Early life and family[]
Butcher was born in Brighton, England, on 19 September 1948, the son of Dorothy May Butcher (née Guppy) and Frank George Butcher.[1] The family migrated to New Zealand, and he attended Karamu High School in Hastings with broadcaster Paul Holmes, and Victoria University of Wellington. While at Victoria, he was President of the Victoria University Labour Club.[2] From 1972 to 1974, he worked as an economist in the Labour Department, Wellington. During 1974–75 he travelled overseas in Asia and Europe. From 1976 until 1978, he was a field officer for the Wellington Clerical Workers' Union and the New Zealand Labourers' Union in Hawke's Bay.
Butcher became a naturalised New Zealand citizen in 1975,[3] and in 1980, Butcher married Mary Georgina Hall.[1]
Political career[]
New Zealand Parliament | ||||
Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
1978–1981 | 39th | Hastings | Labour | |
1981–1984 | 40th | Hastings | Labour | |
1984–1987 | 41st | Hastings | Labour | |
1987–1990 | 42nd | Hastings | Labour |
Butcher stood unsuccessfully for the seat of Hawkes Bay three times, in the 1969 election, 1972 election and 1975 election, before becoming an MP for the seat of Hastings in the 1978 election.[4] He represented the electorate in Parliament until 1990, when he was defeated by Jeff Whittaker, one of a number of losses contributing to the fall of the Fourth Labour Government. In 1983 he was appointed as Labour's spokesperson for State Insurance and the Government Life Office by Labour leader David Lange.[5]
During the Fourth Labour Government, Butcher served as a Cabinet minister, with posts including Minister of Commerce, Minister of Trade and Industry, Postmaster-General and Minister of Energy. In the latter office, Butcher had responsibility for ensuring that privatised utilities operated in a competitive environment, or were subjected to appropriate regulation.
In 1990, Butcher was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[1]
Life after politics[]
Since 1990, Butcher has been the manager of David Butcher and Associates (DBA), and has worked on assignments in several countries.[6] In 2000, he was fined $10,000 plus reparations, for fraudulently claiming expenses on airline tickets under a travel rebate scheme for former MPs.[7][8]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 86. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
- ^ "Labour Club Has Young H.B. Candidate". Salient. 32 (24). 2 October 1969. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
- ^ "New Zealand, naturalisations, 1843–1981". Ancestry.com Operations. 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. pp. 240–1. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
- ^ "Labour leader allocates responsibilities". The Press. 17 March 1983. p. 3.
- ^ "DBA: David Butcher and Associates". DBA. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
- ^ New Zealand Press Association (30 June 2000). "Former MP loses fraud appeal". The New Zealand Herald.
- ^ Newbold, Greg (2012). Crime, Law and Justice in New Zealand. Routledge. p. 26. ISBN 9781317275619.
- 1948 births
- Living people
- Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand
- New Zealand Labour Party MPs
- People from Hastings, New Zealand
- People educated at Karamu High School
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 1969 New Zealand general election
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 1972 New Zealand general election
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 1975 New Zealand general election
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 1990 New Zealand general election
- Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
- New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
- People from Brighton
- English emigrants to New Zealand
- Naturalised citizens of New Zealand
- Victoria University of Wellington alumni
- New Zealand trade unionists