David Butcher

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.

For the English cricketer, see David Butcher (cricketer).

The Honourable

David Butcher
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Hastings
In office
1978 – 1990
Preceded byBob Fenton
Succeeded byJeff Whittaker
52nd Postmaster-General
In office
5 November 1988 – 14 August 1989
Prime MinisterDavid Lange
Geoffrey Palmer
Preceded byRichard Prebble
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born
David John Butcher

(1948-09-19) 19 September 1948
Brighton, England
NationalityNew Zealander
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)
Mary Georgina Hall
(
m. 1980)
Alma materVictoria University of Wellington

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.

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.[5] In 2000, he was fined $10,000 plus reparations, for fraudulently claiming expenses on airline tickets under a travel rebate scheme for former MPs.[6][7]

gollark: Yes, *in place*, as a post-whatevering thing.
gollark: 5 then 6, obviously.
gollark: What?
gollark: Try adding *s and &s to the comparey bit until it works.
gollark: You can't compare a string with a char.

References
  1. 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.
  2. "Labour Club Has Young H.B. Candidate". Salient. 32 (24). 2 October 1969. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  3. "New Zealand, naturalisations, 1843–1981". Ancestry.com Operations. 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  4. 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  5. "DBA: David Butcher and Associates". DBA. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  6. New Zealand Press Association (30 June 2000). "Former MP loses fraud appeal". The New Zealand Herald.
  7. Newbold, Greg (2012). Crime, Law and Justice in New Zealand. Routledge. p. 26.
Political offices
New title Minister of Commerce
1987–1990		 Succeeded by
Philip Burdon
Preceded by
David Caygill		 Minister of Trade and Industry
1988–1989		 Position abolished
Preceded by
Richard Prebble		 Postmaster-General
1988–1989
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Bob Fenton		 Member of Parliament for Hastings
1978–1990		 Succeeded by
Jeff Whittaker
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