Brian Connell
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| 47th 47th New Zealand Parliament The 47th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 2002 elections, and it sat until 11 August 2005.... |
Rakaia Rakaia (New Zealand electorate) Rakaia was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region from 1972 to 1978 and 1993 to 2008.The seat was held by Brian Connell MP from 2002 to 2008.-Population Centres:The electorate included the following population centres:* Ashburton... |
n/a | National New Zealand National Party The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:... |
| 48th 48th New Zealand Parliament The 48th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined at a general election held on 17 September 2005. The new parliament met for the first time on 7 November 2005... |
Rakaia Rakaia (New Zealand electorate) Rakaia was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region from 1972 to 1978 and 1993 to 2008.The seat was held by Brian Connell MP from 2002 to 2008.-Population Centres:The electorate included the following population centres:* Ashburton... |
25 | National New Zealand National Party The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:... |
The New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
politician Brian David Connell (born 23 April 1956) represented the New Zealand National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
in the New Zealand Parliament from 2002 to 2008.
Born in Foxton
Foxton, New Zealand
Foxton is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand. The 2006 census population was 2715.It is located on the lower west coast of the North Island, in the Horowhenua district, 30 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North and 15 kilometres north of Levin. The town is located close to the...
in the Manawatu region, Connell studied history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
. He also gained a diploma in teaching
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. He worked as a primary-school teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
for a time, then as a secondary-school teacher, before moving to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where he became a manager at a banking company
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. After holding a number of management and consultancy positions, he returned to New Zealand and took up farming.
The voters of the Rakaia electorate
Rakaia (New Zealand electorate)
Rakaia was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region from 1972 to 1978 and 1993 to 2008.The seat was held by Brian Connell MP from 2002 to 2008.-Population Centres:The electorate included the following population centres:* Ashburton...
put Connell in Parliament in the 2002 elections
New Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
, replacing the retiring former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
Jenny Shipley
Jenny Shipley
Dame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
as the local National Party candidate. Connell served on the Law and Order and Commerce select committees.
Following Connell's re-election in the 2005 election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
, National Party parliamentary leader Don Brash
Don Brash
Donald "Don" Thomas Brash , a New Zealand politician, was Leader of the Opposition, parliamentary leader of the National Party from 28 October 2003 to 27 November 2006 and the leader of the ACT Party for 28th April 2011 - 26 November 2011...
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 him a higher position than his previous unranked state, Connell objected to such a lowly rating, 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";
and describing it as a "big rat to swallow". Don Brash responded by removing his portfolios and unranking him, saying Connell no longer had his confidence. On 4 November 2005 Connell threatened to become an independent MP.
On 13 September 2006 TV3 News
3 News
3 News is the television, internet and radio news service of New Zealand's TV3. Its flagship bulletin, which airs every evening at 6:00pm, is anchored by Hilary Barry and Mike McRoberts. Carolyn Robinson and Simon Shepherd are weekend and substitute anchors...
and the New Zealand Herald reported that Connell had confronted Brash during a National-Party caucus-meeting with allegations of the parliamentary party leader's involvement in an extramarital affair. Brash issued a statement later that same day, declaring plans to take leave in order to sort out marital difficulties with his wife. Connell also characterised Brash as "stupid and nonsensical" for demoting fellow MP Katherine Rich.
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.
Connell reportedly declared that he planned to grow his hair as a protest until the National Party changed its leader: he later denied this.
Having already announced his intention to retire at the 2008 election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, Connell retired from Parliament on August 31, 2008 to take up a job in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.