Terence Michael Heffernan (3 February 1952 – 13 March 2010) was a New Zealand politician who stood for Parliament on eight separate occasions. Heffernan was originally a member of the Social Credit Party before joining the New Zealand First Party and later, the New Zealand National Party.
Early years
[edit]He was born in Oamaru and attended St Bede's College in Christchurch. He obtained a degree in history and economics at the University of Canterbury after starting an accounting degree. He taught at Christchurch Boys' High School and Xavier College, but with a passion for politics became a parliamentary researcher for Bruce Beetham and then Winston Peters. He admired 1930s Labour politicians Savage and Lee.
Political activities
[edit]Originally a stalwart of the Social Credit Party, he represented them in the 1979 Christchurch Central by-election and came second; Labour's Geoffrey Palmer won the seat.
Heffernan stood in the Wanganui electorate in five general elections:[1]
- in 1981 for the Social Credit Party
- in 1984 for the Social Credit Party
- in 1987 for the Democratic Party
- in 1990 for the Democratic Party
- in 1993 for New Zealand First
In 1987 he came second to Labour's Russell Marshall, who had an election-night majority of only 27 (though Marshall's final majority was 248).
In 1996 Heffernan stood for New Zealand First in Albany, against Murray McCully.[2]
In the 2008 election, he stood as the National Party candidate for the Christchurch electorate of Port Hills, though already weakened by cancer.[3]
Death
[edit]Heffernan died in Christchurch on 13 March 2010, and his funeral was celebrated in St Joseph's Catholic Church in Papanui, Christchurch. A notice of motion in remembrance was lodged by Ruth Dyson in parliament on 18 March 2010.[4]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Norton 1988, pp. 12, 107, 130.
- ^ "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place - Albany" (PDF). Retrieved 24 December 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Espiner, Colin (25 March 2008). "It's Beaurepaires at Parliament as retreads rolled out". The Press. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
- ^ Order Paper Archived 30 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine New Zealand House of Representatives, 23 March 2010
References
[edit]- Obituary in Dominion Post of 3 April 2010 page B7 (from The Press)
- 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.