David MacLeod explained

David MacLeod
Term Start1:14 October 2023
Predecessor1:Glen Bennett
Parliament1:New Zealand
Order2:3rd Chair of Taranaki Regional Council
Term Start2:2007
Term End2:2022
Predecessor2:David Walter
Successor2:Charlotte Littlewood
Party:National
Birth Place:Hāwera, New Zealand
Spouse:Leasa
Children:3

David Nigel MacLeod[1] (born)[2] is a New Zealand businessman and politician. Since 2023, he is the Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for New Plymouth, representing the National Party. He previously served as chair of the Taranaki Regional Council from 2007 to 2022.

Early life and career

MacLeod, of Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāi Tahu, and Ngāti Porou descent, was born in Hāwera and raised on his family's farm in Manaia. He is the seventh of eight children born to Joy Rangimarie TePoi MacLeod and Thomas Nigel MacLeod.[3] [4]

His maternal grandfather was Ned Ellison, a doctor and health administrator.[5] The National Party Member of Parliament for Egmont and Waitotara Venn Young was his godfather.[6] MacLeod is married to Leasa; they share three children.

MacLeod attended Hawera High School and then completed an electrician apprenticeship with Greaves Electrical. He became a partner in the firm in 1991 and became managing director in 1999.[7] [8] Under his leadership, MacLeod expanded the business to include a lines company. He stepped down from management in 2012 and sold the business in 2023.[9] [10]

Local government and governance career

In 2000, MacLeod was elected to the South Taranaki constituency of the Taranaki Regional Council in a by-election following the death of councillor Ralph Latta.[11] He was re-elected in 2001, 2004, and 2007. After the 2007 election, he was unanimously elected as council chair.[12] MacLeod was returned unopposed at the 2010 election and also reappointed as chair.[13] [14]

As a Taranaki district councillor, MacLeod voted against the creation of a Taranaki Māori constituency in 2011, saying it was his preference to foster relationships between the council and local iwi.[15] As chair, MacLeod led on regional co-governance measures including the appointment of iwi representatives to council committees.[16] He changed his mind to support the creation of a Māori constituency in 2021, when the proposal was supported by all eight Taranaki iwi, despite holding a personal view that the Māori constituency system is "flawed".[17]

MacLeod continued on the council, and as chair, until 2022, when he did not run for re-election.[18] After his re-election in 2019, a rival candidate complained to the Auditor-General that council advertising featuring MacLeod's image had given him an unfair advantage.[19] The Auditor-General advised the council that it may wish to reconsider its policy on pre-election advertising.[20]

While holding local government office, MacLeod served as a director of the council-owned Port Taranaki from 2001 to 2023.[21] [22] He was also elected as a member of the Fonterra board in 2011. He was the first Māori director of the co-operative.[23] He stepped down from the board in 2017, after completing two terms.[24] [25] MacLeod's election to the board was controversial because although he occupied a farmer-representative position he was not a farmer, and because the Taranaki Regional Council he chaired had recently invested in Fonterra bonds.[26] He was appointed to the board of Predator Free 2050 in 2016 and became acting chair in 2021, stepping down in 2022 to run for parliament.[27] [28]

Member of Parliament

On 31 October 2022, MacLeod was selected as National's candidate for at the 2023 New Zealand general election. When his campaign was announced, MacLeod identified Taranaki roads, increasing the number of immigrants available to the workforce, and the oil and gas industry as areas he was keen to work on when in parliament. During the campaign he ran afoul of signage rules by placing his signs outside the designated timeframe and using incorrect font sizes.[29]

MacLeod was listed low on the party list at 67 out of 74, due to the expectation he would win his electorate; it was a placement that former MP and political editor Claudette Hauiti said should have McLeod "fuming", but which he said was "irrelevant" as it showed the party was confident he would win the electoral seat.[30] [31] On election night MacLeod beat incumbent Labour MP Glen Bennett by a margin of 6,991 votes.[32] [33]

MacLeod was appointed the chair of the environment committee and a member of the finance and expenditure committee.[34] He was stood down from his committee roles on 21 May 2024 after failing to declare 19 donations totalling $178,394.[35] [36] On 7 June 2024, the Electoral Commission referred MacLeod to the Police over the undeclared donations. MacLeod maintained that his failure to declare the donations was a genuine mistake and stated that he hope the investigation would make it clear that he did not intend to deceive anyone.[37]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Taranaki Regional Council candidate expense declarations . Taranaki Regional Council.
  2. Web site: David MacLeod Selected As National's Candidate In New Plymouth . 31 October 2022 . New Zealand National Party . Scoop.co.nz.
  3. Web site: 14 June 2022 . Joy MACLEOD Obituary (2022) . 11 April 2024 . Legacy.com.
  4. Web site: 23 August 2016 . Thomas MACLEOD Obituary (2016) . 11 April 2024 . Legacy.com.
  5. Web site: 31 January 2024 . Address in Reply . 11 April 2024 . New Zealand Parliament.
  6. Web site: McLean . Glenn . 1 November 2022 . David MacLeod confirmed as National Party candidate for New Plymouth . 20 October 2023 . Stuff . en.
  7. News: 4 August 2003 . Bright spark powers up electrical firm . Daily News . New Plymouth . 5.
  8. News: McLeann . Glenn . 28 January 2000 . Two candidates for vacant council spot . Daily News . New Plymouth . 4.
  9. News: Anthony . John . 19 November 2012 . All jobs retained in electrical firm merger . . 14.
  10. Web site: 29 March 2023 . Northpower acquires Linepower . https://web.archive.org/web/20230601213844/https://northpower.com/articles/2023/northpower-acquires-linepower . 1 June 2023 . 10 April 2024 . Welcome to Northpower.
  11. News: Paltridge . Antony . 20 March 2000 . MacLeod wins poll for regional council seat . Daily News . New Plymouth . 4.
  12. News: Maetzig . Rob . 1 November 2007 . TRC chairmanship rivals now a team . . 4.
  13. News: Evans . Ryan . 11 October 2010 . Williamson sole new face on TRC . Taranaki Daily News . 5.
  14. News: 27 October 2010 . Easy start for TRC . . 3.
  15. News: Smith . Jared . 10 August 2011 . Dedicated Maori wards rejected . . 4.
  16. News: Ashworth . Craig . 8 October 2023 . National candidate says local co-governance not a target . 11 April 2024 . NZ Herald.
  17. News: 6 April 2021 . Taranaki Regional Council votes to establish Māori ward . 11 April 2024 . RNZ.
  18. Web site: Taranaki Regional Council chairman and deputy stepping down . 29 June 2022 . Taranaki Daily News . Stuff . Glenn . McLean.
  19. Web site: 17 October 2019 . Taranaki Regional Council chair David MacLeod under fire for 'unfair' ads . 20 October 2023 . RNZ . en-nz.
  20. News: Watson . Mike . 21 January 2020 . Regional council told it 'may wish to reconsider' its approach to pre-election advertising after complaint . en . Stuff . 20 October 2023.
  21. News: 14 December 2007 . Councillor joins board . . 3.
  22. Web site: Changes to Port Taranaki Board of Directors . 2024-04-11 . Port Taranaki . en-us.
  23. Web site: O'Dowd . Sue . 15 November 2011 . Taranaki man Fonterra's first Maori director . 11 April 2024 . www.stuff.co.nz.
  24. Web site: 11 September 2017 . Fonterra directors retire . 11 April 2024 . Fonterra.
  25. News: 11 September 2017 . MacLeod to step down from Fonterra board . 11 April 2024 . Rural News Group.
  26. News: Stewart . Rachel . 17 October 2011 . TRC: Is it gamekeeper and poacher? . . 8.
  27. Web site: 17 March 2022 . David MacLeod appointed Chair of Predator Free 2050 Ltd . 11 April 2024 . Predator Free 2050 Limited.
  28. Web site: 1 November 2022 . David MacLeod steps down as Predator Free 2050 Limited Board chair . 11 April 2024 . Predator Free 2050 Limited.
  29. News: McLean . Glenn . 5 June 2023 . New Plymouth National candidate's tsunami of billboards must come down after falling foul of new council signage rules . en . Stuff . 20 October 2023.
  30. News: Joseph Los'e . 20 October 2023 . Hauiti: If National were new and innovate about their candidates, those three would be listed higher . en-NZ . NZ Herald . 20 October 2023.
  31. News: McLean . Glenn . 21 August 2023 . Near bottom party ranking 'irrelevant' for National's New Plymouth candidate . en . Stuff . 20 October 2023.
  32. News: Lana Andelane . 15 October 2023 . NZ election 2023 live electorate results . en . Newshub . 20 October 2023.
  33. Web site: New Plymouth – Official Result . . 12 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231210215708/https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-29.html . 10 December 2023 . 3 November 2023 . live.
  34. Web site: 2024-04-30 . MacLeod, David – New Zealand Parliament . 11 April 2024 . www.parliament.nz . en.
  35. News: Molly . Swift . National MP David MacLeod stood down after failing to declare election donations . 21 May 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240521015552/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/05/national-mp-david-macleod-stood-down-after-failing-to-declare-election-donations.html. 21 May 2024. live.
  36. News: Politics live: National MP David MacLeod stood down after failing to declare donations . 21 May 2024 . . 21 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240521025558/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/517356/politics-live-national-mp-david-macleod-stood-down-after-failing-to-declare-donations . 21 May 2024. live.
  37. News: Whyte . Anna . McLean . Glenn . ‘Hasn’t come as a surprise’: National MP David MacLeod referred to police over donations . 8 June 2024 . . 7 June 2024 . https://wayback-api.archive.org/web/20240608050135/https://www.thepress.co.nz/politics/350303895/national-mp-david-macleod-referred-police-over-donations . 8 June 2024. live.

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