David Cunliffe

David Cunliffe
34th Leader of the Opposition
In office
15 September 2013 – 27 September 2014
Prime MinisterJohn Key
DeputyDavid Parker
Preceded byDavid Shearer
Succeeded byAndrew Little
15th Leader of the Labour Party
In office
15 September 2013 – 27 September 2014
DeputyDavid Parker
Preceded byDavid Shearer
Succeeded byAndrew Little
37th Minister of Health
In office
31 October 2007 – 19 November 2008
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byPete Hodgson
Succeeded byTony Ryall
51st Minister of Immigration
In office
19 October 2005 – 11 November 2007
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byPaul Swain
Succeeded byClayton Cosgrove
Minister of Communications and Information Technology
In office
15 August 2002 – 19 November 2008
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byPaul Swain
Succeeded bySteven Joyce
Member of Parliament
for New Lynn
Titirangi (1999–2002)
In office
27 November 1999 – 23 April 2017
Preceded byElectorate re-established
Succeeded byDeborah Russell
Personal details
Born
David Richard Cunliffe

(1963-04-30) 30 April 1963 (age 61)
Te Aroha, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
SpouseKaren Price (1984–2015)[1]
RelationsRichard Seddon (great-great uncle)
Children2
Alma mater

David Richard Cunliffe QSO (born 30 April 1963) is a New Zealand management consultant and former politician who was Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from September 2013 to September 2014. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Titirangi and then New Lynn for the Labour Party between 1999 and 2017. He served as the Minister of Health, Minister for Communications and Information Technology and Minister of Immigration for the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand from October 2007 until November 2008.

After the defeat of the Labour Party in the 2008 general election, and the resignation of Helen Clark as the party leader, Cunliffe was appointed the party's finance spokesman and number three on the front bench.[2] After Labour lost the 2011 general election and Phil Goff stood down as party leader, Cunliffe ran for the leadership, but narrowly lost to David Shearer.

On 26 August 2013, Cunliffe announced a second leadership bid after David Shearer's departure from the leadership and was elected on 15 September 2013. Following Labour's defeat at the general election in September 2014, he resigned as leader of the Labour Party.[3]

  1. ^ Young, Audrey (24 March 2015). "David Cunliffe confirms he and wife Karen Price have separated". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  2. ^ Young, Audrey (12 November 2008). "Goff plans radical shake-up at the top". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  3. ^ Howie, Cherie (27 September 2014). "David Cunliffe resigns as leader". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 September 2014.