18 Facts About Harry Duynhoven

Harry James Duynhoven was born on 1955 and is a New Zealand politician and member of the New Zealand Labour Party.

Harry Duynhoven was elected as a councillor for the city ward of the New Plymouth District Council in a by-election, and was re-elected to that role and elected as a board member on Taranaki's district health board in 2016 and 2019.

Harry Duynhoven was born in New Plymouth on 22 June 1955.

Harry Duynhoven left Spotswood College at age sixteen to become an electrician, and eventually became a technical teacher at the collegiate and polytechnic level.

Harry Duynhoven entered Parliament in the 1987 election, winning the New Plymouth seat from incumbent National Party MP, Tony Friedlander.

In 2003, Harry Duynhoven raised with the Speaker of Parliament his status, and whether he might have breached electoral law, thus disqualifying him from retaining his seat.

Harry Duynhoven's father was from the Netherlands, and Duynhoven had possessed citizenship from birth, but had temporarily lost it due to a change of Dutch law.

The Solicitor General advised the Privileges Committee that the law was clear, and that Harry Duynhoven's seat became vacant on 11 June 2003.

The majority decision of the Privileges Committee was that Harry Duynhoven was disqualified from holding his seat, and that it had accordingly been vacated.

However the government introduced an act retroactively amending the law, to allow Harry Duynhoven to resume his seat.

Harry Duynhoven served as a Minister outside Cabinet of Helen Clark's Labour Government with the portfolio of Associate Minister of Transport, and later, Minister for Transport Safety and Associate Minister of Energy until his government's defeat.

Harry Duynhoven did not stand as a party list candidate in the 2008 general election.

In 1990, Harry Duynhoven was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

Harry Duynhoven was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order in the 2012 New Year Honours, for services as a Member of Parliament.

In October 2010, Harry Duynhoven was elected Mayor of New Plymouth.

Three years later, on 12 October 2013, Mr Harry Duynhoven became the first New Plymouth mayor since Edward Hill in 1956 to be ousted after one term.

On 11 January 2015, Harry Duynhoven confirmed months of speculation that he would stand in the by-election to fill the vacancies.

Harry Duynhoven was re-elected in the 2016 local elections and the 2019 local elections.