David Shand (politician)

David Shand
Shand in 2009
Wellington City Councillor
In office
9 October 1971 – 8 October 1977
Personal details
Born1944
Wellington, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
Alma materVictoria University of Wellington
ProfessionAcademic

David Arthur Shand (born 1944)[1] is a former New Zealand academic, politician and international civil servant.

Biography

Early career

Shand was born in Wellington and educated at Ohakune, Khandallah and Shannon Primary Schools and then at Horowhenuua College and Palmerston North Boys High School. He studied part-time for a B.Com. degree in accountancy at Victoria University starting in 1962 and completed his studies in 1966. He later completed an honours degree in economics. He was an active member of the Labour Party from the age of 18. He was active in student politics at Victoria University and in 1967 received a US State Department Far East Student Leader Grant.

In 1968 Shand was working as a senior investigating officer for the New Zealand Treasury. In 1968 he was seconded to Victoria University to become a lecturer in government finance.[2] He was also a member of the University Council (1968–69) and chairman of the Wellington Government Accountants Society.[3]

Political career

In 1971 Shand won a seat on the Wellington City Council on a Labour ticket which he was to hold until 1977.[4] He was also a member of the Wellington Regional Planning Authority. Wellington Mayor Sir Michael Fowler later described Shand as an "extremely good" councillor.[5]

Shand stood for election to the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Labour Party in two consecutive elections. He stood in Wellington Central in both 1972 and 1975. He came in second place on both occasions.[6] Shand won the seat on election night in 1972 but ultimately lost by only 27 votes after special votes were counted. As a result of his provisional lead he attended the first Labour caucus after the 1972 election and was able to cast votes in the election of cabinet.[7] He contested the Labour nomination for the Island Bay electorate in 1977 following the controversial de-selection of incumbent MP Gerald O'Brien.[8] He later contemplated standing in the seat of Heretaunga in the 1981 general election.[9]

Later activities

Shand left New Zealand in 1977 and moved to Australia where he taught at the Australian National University. He left academia in 1981 and took up senior positions in the Australian Department of Finance, the Queensland Public Sector Management Commission and the Victorian Treasury. In 1986 he was appointed as the head of New Zealand's Government Financial Support Service.[10] He subsequently worked on public financial management in three international organisations – OECD (Paris), IMF and World Bank (Washington DC) before retiring to New Zealand in 2006. Shand later became a member of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, having previously served as chair of the Local Government Rates Inquiry and also as chair of the Tertiary Education Commission.[11] In 2006 he was appointed by the government to the board of Meridian Energy, remaining there until 2009.[12]

Shand's community activities have included Trustee of the NZ Portrait gallery and board member of the Auckland City Mission. Shand is of Maori descent through Rakiura (Stewart Island) Maori – Ngai Tahu and Ngati Mamoe and has undertaken financial advisory work for Ngai Tahu.

Shand intended a return to politics and stood as an independent candidate for the Capital and Coast District Health Board in the 2019 local elections[13] but he was unsuccessful.[14]

Notes

  1. ^ "Shand, David Arthur, 1944–". Alexander Turnbull Library. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  2. ^ "David Shand – Senior Lecturer". Salient. 32. 4 September 1969. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Labour Hopefuls for City Council". The Evening Post. 3 September 1971.
  4. ^ "Labour Sweeps to Victory in Elections; Sir Francis Has Record Majority". The Evening Post. 11 October 1971.
  5. ^ Romanos, Joseph (28 May 2009). "The Wellingtonian interview: Sir Michael Fowler". The Wellingtonian. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  6. ^ Norton 1988, p. 387.
  7. ^ Bassett 1976, pp. 11, 17.
  8. ^ Nicolaidi, Mike (12 November 1977). "HQ-Selected Candidate For Island Bay Moves To Heal Wounds". The Evening Post.
  9. ^ "Shand may seek candidacy". The Evening Post. 26 March 1980.
  10. ^ "Shand to head new support service". The Evening Post. 25 January 1986.
  11. ^ "The Commissioners". Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Meridian Energy's director Shand first of Labour directors to go". Newshub. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  13. ^ "David Shand". Wellington City Council. Retrieved 10 September 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  14. ^ Lampp, Warwick (18 October 2019). "Declaration of results" (PDF). electionz.com. Retrieved 5 June 2021.

References

  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
  • Bassett, Michael (1976). The Third Labour Government: a personal history. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. ISBN 0-908564-30-9.