Brian MacDonell
{{Short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Brian MacDonell
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|size=100%}}
| image = Brian MacDonell.jpg
| caption = MacDonell in 1963
| birth_name =
| constituency_MP = Dunedin Central
| parliament = New Zealand
| term_start = 30 November 1963
| term_end = 14 July 1984
| predecessor = Phil Connolly
| successor = Constituency abolished
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|19 May 1935|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Dunedin, New Zealand
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Banker
| party = Labour
| religion =
| spouse = Joan Banwell
| children = 4
| parents =
| relatives =
}}
Brian Peter MacDonell {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO}} (born 19 May 1935) is a former New Zealand Member of Parliament for Dunedin Central in the South Island.
Early life and career
He was born in Dunedin on 19 May 1935, the son of Roderick MacDonell. He received his education at Christian Brothers High School, since renamed Kavanagh College. He became active with the labour movement in 1950. In 1958, he married Joan Banwell, the daughter of William Banwell. The MacDonells have four sons.{{sfn|Traue|1978|p=178}} MacDonell worked for a bank from 1953 to 1963, and was a national councillor for the New Zealand bank officers union.{{sfn|Traue|1978|p=178}}
Political career
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1963}}
|end = 1966
|term = 34th
|electorate = Dunedin Central
|party = New Zealand Labour Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1966}}
|end = 1969
|term = 35th
|electorate = Dunedin Central
|party = New Zealand Labour Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1969}}
|end = 1972
|term = 36th
|electorate = Dunedin Central
|party = New Zealand Labour Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1972}}
|end = 1975
|term = 37th
|electorate = Dunedin Central
|party = New Zealand Labour Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1975}}
|end = 1978
|term = 38th
|electorate = Dunedin Central
|party = New Zealand Labour Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1978}}
|end = 1981
|term = 39th
|electorate = Dunedin Central
|party = New Zealand Labour Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start = {{NZ election link year|1981}}
|end = 1983
|term = 40th
|electorate = Dunedin Central
|party = New Zealand Labour Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox allegiance
|start = 1983
|end = 1984
|party = Independent politician
}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
MacDonell first attempted to enter politics at the 1959 local-body elections when he stood unsuccessfully for the Dunedin City Council on the Labour Party ticket. He stood for the council again in 1962 and was likewise unsuccessful.{{cite news |title=City Council |work=Otago Daily Times |date=23 November 1959 |page=5 }}{{cite news |title=New City Council |work=Otago Daily Times |date=15 October 1962 |page=5 }}
He represented the Dunedin Central electorate in Parliament for 21 years from {{NZ election link year|1963}} to 1984.{{sfn|Wilson |1985 |p=214}} He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Industry (1973–1975) and to the Minister of Energy Resources (1974–1975).{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=94}} Following the Royal Commission on Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion, parliament discussed legislation to legalise abortion, and MacDonell supported his pro-life stance by holding a jar with a pickled 12-week-old foetus during the debate.{{cite news|last1=Guest|first1=Michael|title=Weird and wonderful 19th-century laws|url=http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/opinion/25816/weird-and-wonderful-19th-century-laws|access-date=28 August 2015|work=Otago Daily Times|date=6 October 2008}}{{cite news|last1=O'Neil|first1=Andrea|title=Abortion law reform features pickled foetus in 1977 - 150 years of news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/70056279/abortion-law-reform-features-pickled-foetus-in-1977--150-years-of-news.html|access-date=28 August 2015|work=The Dominion Post|date=10 July 2015}} Parliament passed the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977. MacDonell was Shadow Minister of Customs and Shadow Postmaster-General from 1975 to 1983 under Bill Rowling.{{Cite news |title=Labour's shadow line-up |date=13 March 1981 |work=The Evening Post |page=4 }}
The Dunedin Central electorate was abolished in the 1983 electoral redistribution, and the electorate of Dunedin West was established in its place.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=262}} MacDonell was not selected as the Labour candidate for the new electorate of Dunedin West; instead, the party's president, Jim Anderton, installed his personal friend Clive Matthewson.{{sfn|Bassett|2008|loc=chapter 5}} MacDonell left the party and became an Independent. He worked closely in the house with another Labour MP turned independent, John Kirk, as well as the two Social Credit Party's MPs Bruce Beetham and Gary Knapp. The quartet appointed MacDonell as the groups whip to boost their recognition in parliament.{{cite news |title=MacDonell whip |work=The Evening Post |date=22 October 1983 |page=2 }} At the 1984 general election he was not successful standing for re-election.
MacDonell was later elected a member of the Dunedin City Council at the 1995 local-body elections representing the South Dunedin ward for three years.{{cite news |title=Dunedin City |work=Otago Daily Times |date=16 October 1995 |page=7 }}
Later activities
As of 2013, MacDonell resided in Tasmania, Australia.{{cite news |last1=Manins |first1=Rosie |title=Scots determination helped bring MacDonell clan together |url=http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/278778/scots-determination-helped-bring-macdonell-clan-together |access-date=18 June 2015|work=Otago Daily Times|date=28 October 2013}} He enjoys fishing for recreation.{{sfn|Traue|1978|p=178}}
Honours and awards
In 1977, MacDonell was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1990 he received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.{{cite book |editor-last=Lambert |editor-first=Max |title=Who's Who in New Zealand |edition=12th |year=1991 |publisher=Reed |location=Auckland |isbn=0-7900-0130-6 |page=383}} In the 1993 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.{{London Gazette |date=31 December 1992 |supp=2 |issue=53154 |page=30}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
References
{{commons category}}
- {{cite book | last= Bassett | first= Michael | author-link=Michael Bassett | title=Working with David: Inside the Lange Cabinet | year=2008 | publisher=Hodder Moa | location=Auckland | isbn=978-1-86971-094-1 }}
- {{cite book | title=Who's Who in New Zealand | edition=11th | editor-first=James Edward | editor-last=Traue |editor-link=Jim Traue | date=1978 | publisher=Reed | location=Wellington}}
- {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4 |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par | nz}}
{{s-bef | before = Phil Connolly}}
{{s-ttl | title= Member of Parliament for Dunedin Central| years=1963–1984}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished}}
{{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonell, Brian}}
Category:People educated at Trinity Catholic College, Dunedin
Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs
Category:Independent MPs of New Zealand
Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order
Category:Local politicians in New Zealand
Category:New Zealand MPs for Dunedin electorates
Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1984 New Zealand general election
Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1960 New Zealand general election
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives