Brian Connell
{{short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{about||the South African ethologist|Brian Connell (author)|those of a similar name|Brian O'Connell (disambiguation){{!}}Brian O'Connell}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}}
Brian David Connell (born 23 April 1956) is a former New Zealand politician who represented the New Zealand National Party in the New Zealand Parliament from 2002 to 2008.
Biography
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=right}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|2002}}
|end = 2005
|term = 47th
|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Rakaia}}
|list = n/a
|party = New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|2005}}
|end = 2008
|term = 48th
|electorate = Rakaia
|list = 25
|party = New Zealand National Party
}}
{{End}}
Born in Foxton in the Manawatū region, Connell studied history and geography at Massey University. He also gained a diploma in teaching. He worked as a primary school teacher for a time, then as a secondary school teacher, before moving to Australia, where he became a manager at a banking company in Victoria. After holding a number of management and consultancy positions, he returned to New Zealand and took up farming.
The voters of the Rakaia electorate elected Connell to Parliament in the 2002 election, replacing the retiring former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley as the National Party candidate. Connell served on the Law and Order and Commerce select committees.
Following Connell's re-election in the 2005 election, National Party leader Don Brash ranked him 27th in the National party caucus of 48 MPs giving him the portfolios of forestry, commerce, consumer affairs and statistics. Although this gave Connell a higher position (he was previously unranked), Connell objected to such a lowly ranking, saying "I would have liked bigger portfolios and a higher ranking based on my ability, rather than the leader slapping me around because I'm outspoken"Ashburton Guardian, 27 October 2005 and describing it as a "big rat to swallow". Don Brash responded by removing his portfolios and rank in the caucus, saying Connell no longer had his confidence. On 4 November 2005, Connell threatened to become an independent MP.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10353709 |title=Maverick MP threatens to go solo |author=Taylor, Kevin |date=5 November 2005 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=12 September 2011}}
On 13 September 2006 TV3 News and The New Zealand Herald reported that Connell had confronted Brash during a National Party caucus meeting with allegations of an extramarital affair.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10401236 |title=Maverick MP confronted Brash at party caucus |author=Houlahan, Mike |date=14 September 2006 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=12 September 2011}} Brash issued a statement later that same day,{{cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0609/S00298.htm|title=Statement from Don Brash re request for privacy|publisher=Scoop|location=New Zealand|date=13 September 2006|accessdate=27 March 2015}} declaring plans to take leave in order to sort out marital difficulties with his wife.
{{cite press release| title = Statement from Don Brash requesting privacy | publisher=New Zealand National Party, retrieved via Scoop.co.nz | date = 13 September 2006 | url = http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0609/S00298.htm | accessdate = 26 August 2020}}
The National Party caucus suspended Connell on 26 September 2006. A statement released by the National Party said that Connell had failed to show the restraint and discipline expected of a caucus member, and that it had no confidence in him.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10403013 |title=National suspends outspoken MP |date=26 September 2006 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=12 September 2011}}
Connell reportedly declared that he planned to grow his hair as a protest until the National Party changed its leader: he later denied this.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10412749|work=The New Zealand Herald|title=Maverick MP ready to return to caucus fold|accessdate=2007-06-17|first=Mike|last=Houlahan|date=28 November 2006}}
Having already announced his intention to retire at the 2008 election, Connell retired from Parliament on 31 August 2008 to take up a job in Brisbane.{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=144&objectid=10529454 |title=National MP stands down from Parliament ahead of election |date=28 August 2008 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=12 September 2011}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070614164353/http://www.national.org.nz/MP.aspx?Id=44 National Party page]
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connell, Brian}}
Category:Massey University alumni
Category:20th-century New Zealand farmers
Category:New Zealand National Party MPs
Category:People from Foxton, New Zealand
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives