Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand politician)

MacIntyre was born at Hastings on 10 November 1915.[1] He received his education at Christ's College, Christchurch. He was a farmer from 1933 to 1939, when he joined the New Zealand Army.[2]

MacIntyre served in World War II in Australia, the Middle East, and Italy, and commanded the Māori Battalion.[2] He was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.[3] After the war, he was commander for troops in Japan.[4] MacIntyre commanded the Divisional Cavalry Regiment from 1945 to 1946.[5]

In the 1956 New Year Honours, MacIntyre was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division).[6]

MacIntyre represented the Hastings electorate in Parliament from 1960 to 1972, when he was defeated.[3] With Robert Muldoon and Peter Gordon he was one of the three Young Turks of the National Party who entered Parliament in 1960.[4]

In 1961 he was one of ten National MPs to vote with the Opposition and remove capital punishment for murder from the Crimes Bill that the Second National Government had introduced. In 1971 and 1972 MacIntyre was Administrator of Tokelau.

MacIntyre at Raukawa Marae in Ōtaki, 1971

He then represented the Bay of Plenty electorate in Parliament from 1975 to 1978, and the East Cape electorate from 1978 to 1984, when he retired.[3] His son, Hamish MacIntyre, was elected to Parliament in 1990.

He served under three Prime Ministers (Holyoake, Marshall, and Muldoon) as Cabinet Minister. He was Minister of Lands (1966–1972), Minister of Forests (1966–1972), Minister of Māori Affairs (1969–1972 and 1975–1978), Minister of Island Territories (1969–1972), Minister of Island Affairs (1972), Minister for the Environment (1972), Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (1975–1977), Minister of Agriculture (1977–1984), and Minister of Fisheries (1978–1984).[7] He was made a Privy Councillor in 1980.[3][8]

In September 1980 MacIntyre gave a Marginal Land Boards loan to his daughter and son-in-law raising questions around Conflict of interest. A public inquiry later concluded that MacIntyre had not acted willfully improperly. Nonetheless, several public resignations of National Party officeholders followed in MacIntyre's East Cape electorate causing serious damage to MacIntyre's reputation.[9]

In the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours, MacIntyre was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, for public services.[10]

By 1982, MacIntyre had a serious heart problem.[4] He died at Waipukurau on 8 June 2001.[1] Ngāti Kahungunu held him in such high regard for his conduct as Māori Affairs Minister that his body was at their Porangahau Marae for one night before the funeral. He was survived by his second wife Jaqueline MacIntyre (Gilbertson),[11] daughters and a son.[4]

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Duncan MacIntyre.

• Rt. Hon. Duncan MacIntyre, MP (record group) (AEFU), Archives New Zealand