Leslie Walter Gandar (1919–1994) 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 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:...

.

He represented the seat of Manawatu

Manawatu (New Zealand electorate)

Manawatu was a parliamentary electorate in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of New Zealand that existed during three periods between 1871 and 1996.-History:The electorate existed during three periods: from 1871 to 1890, 1896 to 1911, and 1919 to 1996....

 from 1966 to 1972, then Ruahine

Ruahine (New Zealand electorate)

Ruahine is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1972 to 1978.-History:The Ruahine electorate was created in 1972, and in 1978 was absorbed into the new Rangitikei electorate.-Election results:-References:...

 from 1972 to 1978. He was defeated in 1978

New Zealand general election, 1978

The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, retain office, although the opposition Labour Party managed to win the largest share of the vote...

 for the new seat of Rangitikei

Rangitikei (New Zealand electorate)

rightRangitīkei is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Rangitīkei is Simon Power of the National Party...

 by Bruce Beetham

Bruce Beetham

Bruce Craig Beetham was an academic and politician from New Zealand, whose career spanned the 1970s and early 1980s.A lecturer at Hamilton's University of Waikato and at the Hamilton Teacher's Training College, he was elected leader of the Social Credit Party in 1972, at a time when the party was...

. Beetham had won the seat in the Rangitikei by-election, held earlier in the year on 18 February 1978 after the death of Sir Roy Jack

Roy Jack

Sir Roy Emile Jack was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1972 and 1976 to 1977, and a cabinet minister....

. National planned that Gandar would take over the new seat at the November general election, and stood an interim candidate, local Jim Bull, in the by-election. But, to general surprise, Beetham won the by-election for Social Credit.

Gandar was a cabinet minister in the Second National Government of New Zealand

Second National Government of New Zealand

The Second National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1960 to 1972. It was a conservative government which sought mainly to preserve the economic prosperity and general stability of the early 1960s...

 holding the Education portfolio and from 1979 to 1982 was the New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.