David Shearer

David Shearer
Shearer in the Mount Albert electorate, May 2009
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan
In office
1 January 2017 – 15 January 2021
Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres
Preceded byEllen Margrethe Løj
Succeeded byNicholas Haysom
33rd Leader of the Opposition
In office
13 December 2011 – 15 September 2013
Prime MinisterJohn Key
DeputyGrant Robertson
Preceded byPhil Goff
Succeeded byDavid Cunliffe
14th Leader of the Labour Party
In office
13 December 2011 – 15 September 2013
DeputyGrant Robertson
Preceded byPhil Goff
Succeeded byDavid Cunliffe
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Mount Albert
In office
13 June 2009 – 31 December 2016
Preceded byHelen Clark
Succeeded byJacinda Ardern
Personal details
Born
David James Shearer

(1957-07-28) 28 July 1957 (age 67)
Auckland, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
SpouseAnuschka Meyer
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Auckland
University of Canterbury
OccupationPolitician, humanitarian worker
Signature

David James Shearer MBE (born 28 July 1957) is a New Zealand United Nations worker and politician. He was a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Labour Party from 2009 to 2016, serving as Leader of the Opposition from 2011 to 2013.

Shearer spent nearly 20 years working for the UN, managing the provision of aid to countries including Somalia, Rwanda, Liberia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq.[1] In 1992, Shearer was (together with his wife) named as New Zealander of the Year by The New Zealand Herald.[2] On 13 June 2009 he won the Mount Albert by-election and entered the House of Representatives. He was elected as leader of the Labour Party on 13 December 2011 but resigned on 15 September 2013, being succeeded by David Cunliffe.

Shearer resigned from Parliament in December 2016 and in 2017 was appointed to head the United Nations peace keeping mission in South Sudan.[3] in January 2021, he was succeeded in the role by Nicholas Haysom.

  1. ^ David Shearer CV posted on Scoop
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference hearld was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Secretary-General Appoints David Shearer of New Zealand Special Representative for South Sudan". United Nations. 13 December 2016.