Harry Duynhoven

The Honourable Harry Duynhoven QSO
Mayor of New Plymouth
In office 2010–2013
Preceded by	Peter Tennent
Succeeded by	Andrew Judd
Councillor of the New Plymouth District
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 March 2015
Preceded by	John McLeod and Len Howners
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for New Plymouth
In office 1987 – 1990
Preceded by	Tony Friedlander
Succeeded by	John Armstrong
Majority	5,439 (16.5%) [1]
In office 1993 – 2008
Preceded by	John Armstrong
Succeeded by	Jonathan Young
Personal details
Born	1955 (age 60–61) New Plymouth
Nationality	Netherlands  New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Profession	Electrician
↑ at 2005 general election

Harry James Duynhoven QSO (born 1955) is a New Zealand politician and member of the New Zealand Labour Party. He was the mayor of the city of New Plymouth and surrounding districts from 2010-2013. He assumed office in October 2010. He was a Member of Parliament for the New Plymouth electorate from 1987-1990, and again from 1993-2008. He is currently a NPDC councilor representing the New Plymouth City ward.

Early life

Duynhoven was born in New Plymouth on 22 June 1955. ^[1] He left Spotswood College at age sixteen to become an electrician, and eventually became technical teacher at the collegiate and polytechnic level.

Member of Parliament

Duynhoven entered Parliament in the 1987 elections, winning the New Plymouth seat from incumbent National Party MP, Tony Friedlander. In the 1990 elections, he lost the seat to National's John Armstrong, but won it back in the 1993 elections. In the 2008 election he lost to New Zealand National Party candidate, Jonathan Young by 105 votes,^[2] the smallest margin in the election.^[3]

In 2003, it was alleged that Duynhoven might have accidentally violated an electoral regulation, thus depriving him of his seat. This claim arose after Duynhoven applied to resume his citizenship of the Netherlands. His father was from the Netherlands, and Duynhoven had possessed citizenship from birth, but had temporarily lost it due to a change of Netherlands law. According to electoral law, applying for foreign citizenship would require Duynhoven to vacate his seat. The law was seen by many as misguided, however, and Duynhoven, with his huge majority, was almost certain to re-enter Parliament in the event of a by-election. As such, the government passed an act retroactively amending the law.

Duynhoven served as a Minister outside Cabinet of Helen Clark's Labour Government with the portfolio of Associate Minister of Transport, and later, Minister for Transport Safety and Associate Minister of Energy until his government's defeat. He did not stand as a party list candidate in the 2008 general election.

Duynhoven was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order in the 2012 New Year Honours, for services as a Member of Parliament.^[4]

Local Government Politics

In October 2010, Duynhoven was elected Mayor of New Plymouth.^[5] Three years later, on 12 October 2013, Mr Duynhoven became the first New Plymouth mayor since Edward Hill in 1956 to be ousted after one term." ^[5]

On 11 January 2015, Duynhoven confirmed months of speculation that he would stand in the upcoming New Plymouth by-election to replace two councillors, John McLeod and Len Howers, who resigned in late-2014. Duynhoven said his decision to stand in the by-election comes after receiving "a huge number of phone calls and visits from people asking me to stand."^[6]

On 11 March 2015, Duynhoven made his political come-back and won a seat in the New Plymouth City Ward by-election alongside Roy Weaver after being dumped by voters for another term as Mayor and now is a first time Councillor.

References

External links

• Page on Parliamentary website