David Benson-Pope

The Honourable David Benson-Pope
12th Minister for the Environment
In office 19 October 2005 – 27 July 2007
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Marian Hobbs
Succeeded by	David Parker (acting) Trevor Mallard
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Dunedin South
In office 1999–2008
Preceded by	Dr Michael Cullen
Succeeded by	Clare Curran
Majority	10,640 (30.27%)[1]
Personal details
Born	1950 (age 74–75)
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Jan Flood
Children	Two
Occupation	Teacher

David Henry Benson-Pope (born 1950) is a New Zealand politician. He is a former Member of Parliament for Dunedin South and has been a member of the Dunedin City Council since 2013.

Benson-Pope previously served as a Dunedin city councillor from 1986 to 1999 and returned to local government after his parliamentary and ministerial career was ended by a series of misconduct allegations.

Early career

Born in Dunedin and educated at King's High School, Benson-Pope received his tertiary education at the University of Otago and at the Christchurch College of Education. While studying education he was president of the Students' Association at the college, and National President of the Student Teachers' Association of New Zealand.

Working as a teacher at Bayfield High School, where he taught German and outdoor education for 24 years,^[2] he became involved in the teachers' unions and was first elected to the Dunedin City Council on a Labour Party ticket in October 1986.^[3] He was re-elected to the city council four more times and resigned in 1999, when he successfully contested the Dunedin South electorate for the Labour Party.

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
1999–2002	46th	Dunedin South	54		Labour
2002–2005	47th	Dunedin South	36		Labour
2005–2008	48th	Dunedin South	23		Labour

Benson-Pope was selected to succeed Labour's deputy leader Michael Cullen as the Dunedin South candidate for the 1999 election when Cullen moved to Hawke's Bay. He easily defeated National candidate Russel Keast to retain the seat for Labour.^[4] During his first term, Benson-Pope was a member of the Local Government and Environment Committee, Regulations Review Committee and Education and Science Committee.^[5]

In 2002, Benson-Pope became his party's Senior Whip. He entered Cabinet in 2004, becoming Minister of Fisheries, Minister Responsible for the Law Commission, Associate Minister of Justice, Associate Minister for Education (Schools) and Associate Minister for the Environment. He oversaw the drafting of the legislation for civil unions in New Zealand and gained a reputation as a political "Mr Fixit" and "master of the dark art of politics,"^[2] but was also known as "difficult to deal with."^[3]

Despite briefly losing his ministerial positions leading up to the 2005 general election due to allegations of misconduct during his teaching career, Benson-Pope was appointed Minister of Social Development and Employment and Minister for the Environment when that election returned the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand for a third term. He lost those positions in 2007 and served the final year of his parliamentary career on the backbench. His committee assignments in 2007 and 2008 were as a member of the Law and Order Committee and Local Government and Environment Committee.^[5]

Allegations of misconduct as a teacher

Benson-Pope was temporarily stood down as a cabinet minister in 2005 after allegations from former students about the use of violence in the classroom. The allegations included stuffing a tennis ball in 14-year-old's mouth, throwing tennis balls at students to keep them quiet, striking a pupil with the back of his hand making the pupil's nose bleed at a school camp, and caning a student hard enough to draw blood. Benson-Pope denied the allegations.^[6] Claims that he misled Parliament were not referred to the Privileges Committee by the Speaker and after three weeks Benson-Pope was restored to his portfolios, except for his role as Associate Minister of Education.^[7]

Further claims about Benson-Pope's conduct as a teacher were revealed the following year. Investigate magazine published, in February 2006, allegations that he entered the girls' dormitory on a school camp to awaken students twice, and that he told them once that they were taking too long to shower after a "mud run." Benson-Pope denied any impropriety.^[8]

Allegations of misconduct as Minister for the Environment

Benson-Pope faced further controversy in 2007, which led to the resignation of his ministerial posts and the end of his Parliamentary career.

In July 2007 it emerged that a political advisor in Benson-Pope's office (the Labour Party's Trade Union Affiliate Vice-President Steve Hurring) made phone calls which led to the sacking of the Ministry for the Environment's newly appointed communications manager. The issue revolved around her relationship with the chief press secretary to National's parliamentary leader John Key, despite the fact that she had "made a disclosure of her personal connections" during the appointment process.^{[9][10][11][12]} (Under New Zealand's State Sector Act 1988, ministers and their staff were prohibited from being involved in employment matters within government departments for which they are responsible. The Act requires the chief executives of those departments "to act independently of Ministers in matters relating to decisions on individual employees."^[13])

After a week of intense pressure focusing not only on the allegation that his staff had acted improperly, but also that he himself had misled Parliament, the media and Prime Minister Helen Clark about his knowledge and involvement, Benson-Pope offered his resignation from Cabinet at noon on Friday 27 July 2007. Clark accepted the resignation, saying, "The way in which certain issues have been handled this week has led to a loss of credibility and on that basis I have accepted Mr Benson-Pope's offer to stand aside".^[14] An editorial commented, "Not for the first time, he and the Government have been embarrassed less for what he has done than for his inability to simply say what he has done."^[15]

Despite subsequent investigations by State Services Commissioner Mark Prebble and former State Services Commissioner Don Hunn found that neither the Minister nor his staff acted in any way inappropriately,^[16][17] Benson-Pope remained a backbencher for the remainder of the parliamentary term. His resignation triggered a significant reshuffle of the Cabinet. Although Clark indicated that Benson-Pope could be returned to Cabinet at a later time,^[18] he was not reselected as the Labour Party candidate for his electorate at the 2008 general election (which, in any event, Labour lost), and left Parliament.^[19]

Local government career

After losing his bid to remain Labour's Dunedin South candidate for the 2008 general election, Benson-Pope rejected an invitation to stand for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party^[20] and did not stand as an independent candidate.^[19]

Returning to Dunedin, Benson-Pope worked as a resource consent manager and sought election to the Dunedin City Council (DCC) in the 2013 local body elections.^[17] He stood as an independent candidate and was elected on 12 October 2013.^[21] He was re-elected in 2016, 2019 and 2022.^[22][23][24] He was a senior member of the DCC under mayors Dave Cull and Aaron Hawkins and chaired the council's planning and regulatory committee from 2013 until 2022.^[25]

During a live-streamed Zoom meeting of the DCC held on 5 May 2020, Benson-Pope was seen in the camera of his computer cleaning his study with a feather duster whilst "pants-less". Members of the public, councillors and senior managers watched on as the meeting faced technological difficulties. Benson-Pope said he was not wearing pants but was wearing shorts after gardening earlier in the day and stated he was "delighted" that his cameo provided a welcome diversion but "it wasn't intentional."^[26]

Benson-Pope was re-elected to the Dunedin City Council for a fourth term during the 2022 Dunedin local elections.^[27] He was not given a chair or deputy chair role within the Dunedin City Council by the new Mayor of Dunedin Jules Radich.^[28] Benson-Pope and Walker claimed that Radich had offered them committee roles which he knew they would reject. The mayor's proposed councillor salaries included an 11.7% pay cut for councillors without leadership roles than the equivalent position received in the previous term.^[29][30] In late October, Benson-Pope supported an unsuccessful motion by Green councillor Marie Laufiso to close the pay gap between councillors assigned deputy chair roles and those without these duties. The motion was defeated by a margin of 11 to 4 votes.^[31] In December 2022, the DCC was required to consider a revised remuneration proposal after the Remuneration Authority determined the paycut was unlawful.^[30]

In mid December 2022, Benson-Pope voiced opposition to Health New Zealand's proposed budgetary cutbacks to operating theatres and facilities in plans for the rebuilt Dunedin Hospital, Dunedin's primary hospital. He also campaigned for the Hospital to be rebuilt according to its original specifications.^[32][33] In late January, Benson-Pope filed a motion urging the DCC to contribute NZ$130,400 for a public campaign to support the hospital rebuild project as it was outlined in the final business case.^[34] On 31 January, the DCC voted unanimously to support Benson-Pope's motion to fight changes to the Dunedin Hospital's design.^[35]

In May 2024, Benson-Pope and fellow Cr Sophie Barker criticised Mayor Radich for not holding regular statutory chief executive appraisal committee. The last such committee meeting was held on 8 September 2023. Benson-Pope claimed that Radich's failure to hold regular meetings "was symptomatic of him having none of the skills required to perform this role." Radich disputed Benson-Pope and Barkers' criticisms, saying that Benson-Pope was not a member of the appraisal committee and argued that the DCC had held regular meetings.^[36]

In late May 2024, Benson-Pope voted in favour of a DCC motion asking the New Zealand government to establish a special visa category for Palestinian refugees displaced by the Israel-Hamas war. He said that "what's different here is we've got local residents asking us to get their families out of a hellish situation. Anyone who doesn't support that doesn't deserve to be sitting here."^[37]

In late September 2024, Benson-Pope voted in favour of the DCC retaining ownership of utility company Aurora Energy following strong public opposition to the proposed sale. He said ""I think, especially for those of you in the room today, that you will already have realised that had that public voice not been so clearly articulated, the decision would have been very, very different."^[38]

Personal life

Benson-Pope is married with twin children.^[39]

References

1. At 2008 election
2. "Perfect attributes for career path". NZ Herald. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
3. Macdonald, Nikki (28 July 2007). "Final twist in a sorry tale". Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021 – via PressReader.
4. ""Official Count Results (1999) – Candidate Vote Details"". NZ Electoral Commission. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
5. "Benson-Pope, David - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
6. "Benson-Pope steps down as bully inquiry looms". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
7. "Benson-Pope papers rebut school assault claims". NZ Herald. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
8. Fisher, David (26 February 2006). "New questions for Benson-Pope". The New Zealand Herald.
9. "Briefing from State Services Commission received". Government of New Zealand. 20 July 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
10. "Benson-Pope under fire". TV3. 28 July 2007.
11. Audrey, Young (21 July 2007). "Phone call that ended job". The New Zealand Herald.
12. "Trade Union Affiliates". Labour.org.nz. New Zealand Labour Party. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
13. "State Sector Act 1988". Archived from the original on 17 October 2008.
14. "Benson-Pope resignation statements in full". The New Zealand Herald. 27 July 2007.
15. "Editorial: Inability to be 'free and frank' the last straw". The New Zealand Herald. 28 July 2007.
16. D K Hunn (12 November 2007). "Investigation into the public service recruitment and employment of Ms Madeleine Setchell" (PDF).
17. Morris, Chris (31 July 2013). "Benson-Pope eyes DCC seat". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
18. "David Benson-Pope resigns". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
19. "Ousted Benson-Pope to stay loyal". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
20. Mackenzie, Dene (12 June 2008). "Party makes MP offer he can refuse". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
21. "2013 - Dunedin City Council Final Results". Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
22. "Dunedin City Council results". Otago Daily Times Online News. 8 October 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
23. "DCC and community board results". Otago Daily Times Online News. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
24. "DCC and community board preliminary results". Otago Daily Times Online News. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
25. "Councillor David Benson-Pope - Dunedin City Council". Dunedin City Council. 27 January 2016. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
26. McNeilly, Hamish (5 May 2020). "No pants and a feather duster - welcome to Dunedin's revealing council meeting". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
27. "2022 Election results". Dunedin City Council. 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
28. Miller, Grant (20 October 2022). "Radich announces senior council roles". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
29. McNeilly, Hamish (13 December 2022). "Council squabbles over pay: 'I can't believe we are still talking about this'". Stuff. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
30. "Remuneration Authority rejects Dunedin mayor Jules Radich's salary cut proposal". The New Zealand Herald. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
31. Miller, Grant (27 October 2022). "Dunedin mayor and city councillors sworn in". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
32. "Beds cut as Dunedin Hospital budget balloons". Otago Daily Times. 20 December 2022. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
33. Maclean, Hamish (2 January 2023). "Fight for hospital could help lift ratings: mayor". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
34. McNeilly, Hamish (27 January 2023). "Fight looming over proposed cuts to Dunedin hospital rebuild". Stuff. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
35. "Council agrees to challenge changes to new Dunedin Hospital". Radio New Zealand. 31 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
36. Miller, Grant; MacLean, Hamish (22 May 2024). "Radich has 'none of the skills' for mayor". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
37. Littlewood, Matthew (29 May 2024). "Council pushes for Palestinian visa". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
38. "Dunedin City Council votes to keep hold of Aurora Energy". RNZ. 25 September 2024. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
39. Mackenzie, Dene (26 September 2008). "Benson-Pope stands by Labour in valedictory speech". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 14 October 2013.

Further reading

• A determination relating to an appeal by Mr D Benson-Pope and three other persons against the decisions of the Dunedin City Council following a review of its membership and the basis of... (Report). Wellington, [N.Z.]: Local Government Commission. 1995.
• Benson-Pope, David (2004). Review of sustainability measures and other management controls for the 2004–05 fishing year: adaptive management programme (Report). Wellington, [N.Z.]: Ministry of Fisheries.
• Benson-Pope, David (2004). Setting of sustainability measures for green-lipped mussel stocks to be introduced into the quota management system on 1 October 2004 (Report). Wellington, [N.Z.]: Ministry of Fisheries.
• Benson-Pope, David (2004). Setting of sustainability measures for stocks to be introduced into the quota management system on 1 October 2004 (Report). Wellington, [N.Z.]: Ministry of Fisheries.

External links

• NZ Parliament website details on David Benson-Pope
• Labour Party website entry for David Benson-Pope
• Timeline: Benson-Pope career controversy, from TV ONE

Political offices
Preceded by Marian Hobbs	Minister for the Environment 2005–2007	Succeeded by Trevor Mallard (after David Parker as Acting Minister)
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Dr Michael Cullen	Member of Parliament for Dunedin South 1999–2008	Succeeded by Clare Curran
Party political offices
Preceded by Rick Barker	Senior Whip of the Labour Party 2002–2004	Succeeded by Jill Pettis