Dr. David Gervan McMillan (1904 – 20 February 1951) was a 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 of the Labour Party

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

, and a medical practitioner.

He represented the Dunedin West

Dunedin West

Dunedin West was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, in the city of Dunedin.-Population centres:The electorate is urban, and comprises a number of suburbs in the west of Dunedin.* -History:...

 electorate from 1935 to 1943, when he retired. He was a minister in the First Labour Government

First Labour Government of New Zealand

The First Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1935 to 1949. It set the tone of New Zealand's economic and welfare policies until the 1980s, establishing a welfare state, a system of Keynesian economic management, and high levels of state intervention...

, and was responsible for much of the social security

Social security

Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...

 system introduced by Labour.

In 1940 he ran for the position of Labour Party

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

 leader, being nominated by Arnold Nordmeyer

Arnold Nordmeyer

Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer, ONZ, KCMG , born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, was a New Zealand politician. He was leader of the Labour Party for three years while it was in Opposition.-Early life:...

, a friend from Kurow and a supporter of John A. Lee

John A. Lee

John Alfred Alexander Lee DCM was a New Zealand politician and writer. He is one of the more prominent avowed socialists in New Zealand's political history.-Early life:...

. Clyde Carr

Clyde Carr

Rev Clyde Leonard Carr was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and was a minister of the Congregational Church.Ordained as a minister in 1915, he was on the Christchurch City Council between 1923 and 1927 and the Hospital Board in the 1920s, after working in commerce and banking.He...

 also ran, but the winner to replace Savage

Michael Joseph Savage

Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...

 was his deputy, Peter Fraser.

He was a Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

 City Councillor for 1935-38, 1938-41, 1944-47 and 1950-51, when he died.

After his death, his widow Mrs Ethel McMillan

Ethel McMillan

Mrs Ethel Emma McMillan was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.She represented the Dunedin electorates of North Dunedin from 1953 to 1963, and then Dunedin North from 1963 to 1975 when she retired.She was awarded a Q.S.O. in 1976...

became a Dunedin member of Parliament for the Labour Party.