David Farrar (blogger)

Farrar was educated in Wellington, attending St Mark's Church School and Rongotai College.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} He is of Jewish descent on his father's side.[http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/03/nz_jewish_achievers.html Kiwiblog – NZ Jewish achievers]

He studied at the University of Otago and later at Victoria University of Wellington.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} Farrar served on the council of Otago University as a student representative, was president of the Commerce Faculty Students' Association and chaired the Student Representative Council. While he was at the University of Otago, he was the Otago correspondent for Campus News an alternative student newspaper published by a group in Auckland but which was distributed nationwide. The newspaper was published between 1984 and 1988, and Farrar's involvement ran from 1985 to 1987.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

In 2004, Farrar founded Curia Market Research.{{cite web |title=About |url=https://www.curia.co.nz/about/ |website=Curia Market Research Ltd |access-date=8 February 2024}}{{cite news |title='Failure of oversight' on New Zealand academic freedom |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/failure-oversight-new-zealand-academic-freedom |access-date=7 February 2024 |work=Times Higher Education (THE) |date=15 June 2023 |language=en}} It regularly conducts nationally representative New Zealand opinion polling. Farrar was involved in the development of the New Zealand Political Polling Code.{{cite news |title=Pollsters meet to decide on code |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/pollsters-meet-to-decide-on-code/JB3UEF66S3TVEROME76YRKBNMA/ |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=2010 |language=en-NZ}}

Farrar is a member of the Market Research Society of New Zealand. He was vice-president of the Internet Society of New Zealand, InternetNZ and formerly a director of New Zealand Domain Name Registry Ltd (.nz Registry Services),{{cite web|title=New Zealand Domain Name Registry|url=http://www.nzrs.net.nz|accessdate=8 November 2006}} and is a frequent commentator in both broadcast and print media on Internet issues.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

Previously Farrar worked as a staff member of the Leader of the Opposition (1999–2004), a staff member at National Party Head Office (1999 and 2004), a staff member in Ministerial Services under Jim Bolger (1996–1997) and in the Prime Minister's Office under Jenny Shipley (1997–1999).{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

Farrar wrote weekly columns for the National Business Review and the iPredict futures site, and is an occasional commentator on Radio New Zealand and Newstalk ZB.

The New Zealand Listener 2009 Power List named Farrar the fourth most powerful person in the New Zealand media, saying "Kiwiblog has become part of the daily routine for Beltway insiders and others with an interest in politics and public policy."{{cite book|date=December 2009|title=2009 Power List|publisher=The New Zealand Listener}}

{{Conservatism New Zealand}}

In 2013, Farrar, with Jordan Williams, established the fiscally conservative lobby group, the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union.{{Cite web|date=29 October 2013|title=The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union {{!}} Kiwiblog|url=https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/10/the_new_zealand_taxpayers_union.html|access-date=30 July 2021|language=en-US}} The Union is based on the United Kingdom TaxPayers Alliance and resulted from both Farrar and Williams' interaction with that group's founder, Matthew Elliot, through the International Young Democrat Union.{{Cite web|date=29 October 2013|title=The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union {{!}} Kiwiblog|url=https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/10/the_new_zealand_taxpayers_union.html|access-date=30 July 2021|language=en-US}}

Farrar was previously national secretary of the youth wing of the New Zealand National Party, the Young Nationals.{{Cite web|date=16 March 2018|title=Young Nats not immune to 'boozy over-indulgence', says long-time party member|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102323235/young-nats-not-immune-to-boozy-overindulgence-seen-at-labour-camp|access-date=26 October 2021|website=Stuff|language=en}} During his tenure as national secretary, he survived some media calls for his resignation when he was arrested for his part in a joke press release, along with fellow Young National Michael P Moore, announcing that maverick National MP Michael Laws had been assassinated and that the Prime Minister was one of over 10,000 suspects. The joke press-release was made with the New Zealand Police logo. Farrar and Moore were subsequently arrested, but not convicted of any crime as they chose to participate in a diversion scheme for first time offenders of minor crime. The infamous fax and related media items are now displayed at the Backbencher Bar on Molesworth Street in Wellington, across the road from Parliament.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

Farrar is an honorary life member of the Young Nationals, due to his many years of service to the organisation.{{Cite web|date=28 November 2018|title=David Farrar comments on Young National harassment claim|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018673147/david-farrar-comments-on-young-national-harassment-claim|access-date=26 October 2021|website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}

At the 2005 general election Farrar was the volunteer campaign manager for National's {{NZ electorate link|Wellington Central}} candidate Mark Blumsky. Blumsky was defeated in his attempt to become an electorate MP, but succeeded in entering parliament via the party list.{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10426858|work=The New Zealand Herald|accessdate=20 December 2007|date=4 March 2007|first=Deborah|last=Coddington|title=Making a difference, one issue at a time}}

Farrar professes a classical liberal approach to politics, and identifies as a moderate of the centre-right on the political spectrum. He was a co-chair of National's Classical Liberal Policy Advisory Group at its formation in 2004.{{cite press release |title=National Party Board approves Classical Liberal Policy Advisory Group |url= http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0405/S00280.htm |publisher=New Zealand National Party |date=13 May 2004 |accessdate=30 June 2012}} He supported the legalisation of prostitution and of civil unions in New Zealand. Farrar supports a New Zealand republic and is on the National Council of New Zealand Republic campaign. Economically his views are more in keeping with those of parties to the right of the National Party, such as the libertarianism of the minority ACT party.

Farrar has appeared before Parliamentary select committees on a range of issues, including the Electoral Finance Bill and the Treaty Principles Bill. He often publishes his submissions on his blog.{{cite web |url=http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2007/09/my_submission_on_the_electoral_finance_bill.html |title=My submission on the Electoral Finance Bill|date=10 September 2007|publisher=Kiwiblog|author=David Farrar|authorlink=David Farrar (blogger)|accessdate=23 September 2007}}

{{Wikinews|Exclusive interview with prominent blogger, David Farrar}}

• New Zealand blogosphere

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|David Farrar (blogger)}}

• [https://www.davidfarrar.nz/ Personal website]
• [http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz Kiwiblog]
• [http://www.internetnz.net.nz/about/people/council/2004/farrard.html InternetNZ biography]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrar, David}}

Category:1967 births

Category:Living people

Category:New Zealand male bloggers

Category:New Zealand libertarians

Category:New Zealand National Party politicians

Category:New Zealand people of Jewish descent

Category:New Zealand republicans

Category:People educated at Rongotai College

Category:Pollsters

Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni

Category:University of Otago alumni