Brian Donnelly

:"For the American Congressman, see Brian J. Donnelly. For the UK diplomat, see Brian Donnelly (UK diplomat)."

Brian Donnelly QSO (1949 – 25 September 2008) was a New Zealand politician. He was a member of the New Zealand First party.

Early career

Donnelly was trained as a teacher, and worked in the education sector for twenty years. He served for a time as principal of two schools.

Political career

In the 1993 election, he stood for the newly-formed New Zealand First in the Whangarei electorate, but was unsuccessful. In the 1996 election, with the advent of the MMP system, Donnelly was ranked third on the New Zealand First party list, and entered Parliament. He has retained his third-place position in New Zealand First's list ever since.

When New Zealand First formed a coalition with the National Party, Donnelly became Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office, Associate Minister of Education, and Associate Minister of Pacific Island Affairs. When the coalition disintegrated, and New Zealand First itself began to splinter, Donnelly was one of those MPs who remained loyal to the party. He was one of five New Zealand First MPs to avoid the collapse of the party's vote in the 1999 election. Since the 2002 election he has chaired Parliament's Education and Science Committee.

Donnelly has been regarded as a social liberal within his caucus, and voted for civil unions in New Zealand as well as Sue Bradford's more recent private members bill to remove the provision allowing parents to use reasonable force in correcting their children. In retaliation, current New Zealand First Party President Dail Jones threatened demotion of the long-serving List MP, as well as fellow repeal supporter Doug Woolerton. In contrast to other New Zealand First Members of Parliament, Donnelly was widely respected by Members from other political parties.

In February 2008, Donnelly was appointed as New Zealand's High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, and Dail Jones was sworn in to replace him as a list MP on 15 February 2008. Donnelly was a speaker of Cook Islands Māori, unlike most Foreign Affairs diplomats.

Illness and death

In August of 2008, Donnelly resigned from his position due to ill health. [ [http://beehive.govt.nz/release/ill+health+forces+nz+high+commissioner+cooks+resign Ill health forces NZ High Commissioner to Cooks to resign] , 14 August 2008] He was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order in 2008. [ [http://www.gg.govt.nz/gallery/media/image408.jpgPicture] gg.govt.nz]

Brian Donnelly died on 25 September 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10534248|title=Ex-NZ First MP dies|publisher=The New Zealand Herald|date=25 September 2008]

References