David Scott Clark (born 5 January 1973) is a New Zealand
Labour Party politician who is the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
. He was the
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
until July 2020, when he resigned after multiple controversies related to the
response to COVID-19.
Previously he had been Opposition Spokesperson for Small Business and Economic Development.
In November 2020 he became the Minister of
Commerce and Consumer Affairs,
Statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...
,
Digital Economy and Communications,
State Owned Enterprises
A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...
and the Minister responsible for the
Earthquake Commission
The Earthquake Commission, ( mi, Kōmihana Rūwhenua), is a New Zealand Crown entity that invests in natural disaster research and education as well as providing natural disaster insurance to residential property owners. In March 2022, a bill ...
.
Early life
Clark grew up in
Beachlands, just south of Auckland, and was schooled in Auckland.
He studied at
Saint Kentigern College
Saint Kentigern College is a private co-educational Presbyterian secondary school in the suburb of Pakuranga on the eastern side of Auckland, New Zealand, beside the Tamaki Estuary. It is operated by the Saint Kentigern Trust Board which also ...
and spent his last year on a school exchange in Germany, immersing himself in the
German language
German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...
.
In 1991, Clark moved to
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
to study at the
University of Otago
, image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = University clock tower
, motto = la, Sapere aude
, mottoeng = Dare to be wise
, established = 1869; 152 years ago
, type = Public research collegiate u ...
. He initially studied medicine but abandoned that in favour of pursuing degrees in theology and philosophy. Clark also studied theology and philosophy at
Eberhard Karls University in
Tübingen
Tübingen (, , Swabian: ''Dibenga'') is a traditional university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer rivers. about one in thr ...
.
Ordained in 1997, Clark is a
Presbyterian minister
Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...
.
He worked as the Assistant Minister at St Lukes Presbyterian Church in Auckland.
He was the celebrant at the civil union of MP
Grant Robertson
Grant Murray Robertson (born 30 October 1971) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who has served as the 19th deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2020 and the minister of Finance since 2017. He has served as Membe ...
.
Clark later returned to the University of Otago and completed a PhD on the work of German/New Zealand refugee and existentialist thinker
Helmut Rex. He has also worked as a Treasury analyst and the warden of Selwyn College at the
University of Otago
, image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = University clock tower
, motto = la, Sapere aude
, mottoeng = Dare to be wise
, established = 1869; 152 years ago
, type = Public research collegiate u ...
.
Before his election to Parliament, Clark served as deputy chair of the Otago Community Trust.
Member of Parliament
After serving as chairman on the
Labour Party Dunedin North
Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin, located northeast of the city centre. It contains many of the city's major institutions, including the city's university, polytechnic, ma ...
electorate committee, Clark was selected by the Labour Party to replace the retiring
Pete Hodgson
Peter Colin Hodgson (born 13 June 1950) is a former New Zealand politician of the Labour Party and Member of Parliament for Dunedin North from 1990 to 2011.
Early life
Hodgson was born in Whangarei, and received a Bachelor's degree in veter ...
in the electorate.
He won the seat at the
2011 election over
National
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
candidate
Michael Woodhouse
Michael Allan Woodhouse (born 1965) is a National member of the New Zealand Parliament.
Early years
Woodhouse was born and raised in South Dunedin, the fifth of nine children. He attended St Patrick's, St Edmund's and St Pauls High School, no ...
. Clark would defeat Woodhouse again in each of the following three elections, increasing his majority every time.
Opposition, 2011–2017
Clark's maiden parliamentary speech focused on his concern about rising inequality and his passion for social justice. In it, he argued that a more equal society will produce better outcomes, both socially and economically.
Under Labour leaders David Shearer, David Cunliffe and Andrew Little, Clark served as the party's spokesperson in a range of economic portfolios, including revenue, economic development and small business.
In
Opposition
Opposition may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars
* The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band
* '' The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Com ...
he served as Labour's spokesperson for various areas, including Revenue, Economic Development, Small Business, Tertiary Education, and Health. During his time as Revenue spokesperson, he drew attention to difficulties the dated
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation ta ...
computer system was creating for the organisation, and the small amounts that multinational companies were contributing to the tax base.
Clark completed an
Eisenhower Fellowship
Eisenhower Fellowships is a private, non-profit organization created in 1953 by a group of prominent American citizens to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his contribution to humanity as a soldier, statesman, and world leader. The organiza ...
in 2013, focusing much of his trip on the priority accorded to the values of fairness and freedom in New Zealand and the United States. The same year, Parliament passed a
private member's bill
A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in whi ...
in Clark's name. The bill proposed "
Mondayisation
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
" of
Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day ( mi, Te Rā o Waitangi), the national day of New Zealand, marks the anniversary of the initial signing – on 6 February 1840 – of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is regarded as the founding document of the nation. The first Wait ...
and
Anzac Day
, image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg
, caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary.
, observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...
so that additional public holidays would be held if the true dates for those holidays occurred on a weekend. This was the first Bill to pass against the Government in four years.
After the retirement of long-serving Labour MP
Annette King
Dame Annette Faye King (née Robinson, born 13 September 1947) is a former New Zealand politician. She served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2011, and from 2014 until 1 March 20 ...
was announced in March 2017, Clark became the Labour Party's health spokesperson.
Sixth Labour Government, 2017–present
First term, 2017–2020
After the
2017 general election, the Labour Party formed a
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
with
New Zealand First
New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...
and the
Greens. Clark was appointed to the Cabinet as
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
and Associate Minister of Finance.
In late April 2018, Clark appointed three new chairs to head Auckland's three
district health boards:
Patrick Snedden Patrick may refer to:
*Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name
*Patrick (surname), list of people with this name
People
*Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint
*Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick or ...
for the
Auckland District Health Board
Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) was a district health board that provided healthcare in the Auckland Region in New Zealand, mainly on the Auckland isthmus. This district health board existed between 2001 and 2022 and was governed by a part- ...
,
Judy McGregor
Dame Judith Helen McGregor (born 1948) is a New Zealand lawyer, journalist, public servant and academic. She is currently a full professor at Auckland University of Technology and chairs the Waitematā District Health Board.
Career
McGregor c ...
for the
Waitematā District Health Board
The Waitemata District Health Board (Waitemata DHB) was a district health board with the focus on providing healthcare to people living in the area that used to be covered by North Shore city, Rodney District, and Waitakere City in New Zealand. ...
, and Vui
Mark Gosche
Mark James Gosche (born 2 December 1955) is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party. He was born in Auckland to Samoan parents, and has been active in New Zealand's Pacific Islander community.
Biography Early life and care ...
for the
Counties Manukau District Health Board
The Counties Manukau District Health Board (CM Health) was a district health board which focused on providing healthcare to the Counties Manukau area in southern Auckland, New Zealand. As of 2016, it ws responsible for 534,750 residents; or 11% ...
. These appointments replace
Lester Levy
Lester Levy (born 1954) is a South African-born business leader, adjunct professor, and medical doctor based in Auckland, New Zealand. He chairs a number of large boards in New Zealand's largest city.
Early life and education
Levy grew up in a ...
, who had headed all three boards and resigned in December 2017. On 30 April 2018, Clark conceded that the Government would be unable to deliver on its election promise of reducing
general practitioner fees but indicated that it would be introduced in phases over time.
On 4 May 2018, Clark announced that the
Dunedin Public Hospital
Dunedin Hospital is the main public hospital in Dunedin, New Zealand. It serves as the major base hospital for the Otago and Southland regions with a potential catchment radius of roughly 300 kilometres, and a population of around 300,000.
Opera ...
would be replaced by a new hospital on the site of the former
Cadbury factory site and a neighbouring block that included the building occupied by
Work and Income
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) (Māori: ''Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the government on social policy, and providing social services.
MSD is the largest public servi ...
. The construction project is estimated to cost NZ$1.4 billion, would involve around a thousand workers, and is expected to be completed by 2026.
In mid-June 2018, Clark was criticised by employees of the Counties Manukau District Health Board for allegedly trying to silence their reports of run-down buildings, asbestos, and overflowing sewage at
Middlemore Hospital
Middlemore Hospital is a major public hospital in the suburb of Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand. The hospital has approximately 800 beds. There are 24 operating theatres across two sites.
History
In 1943, during World War II, construction comme ...
. Clark denied those allegations but criticised the staff for communicating through the media rather than through official channels. Clark subsequently apologized to Counties Manukau DHB chairman Rabin Rabindran for the handling of the Middlemore saga. That same month, Clark defended the Government's $500 million pay offer to nurses after the national union, the
New Zealand Nurses Organisation
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is New Zealand's largest trade union and professional organisation that represents the nursing profession, midwives and caregivers.
It is one of the oldest organisations of this type in the world, traci ...
, voted to go on strike.
In mid-July 2018, Clark was forced to publicly defend his decision to go on a family holiday prior to a planned national strike by the Nurses Organisation. On 25 July, Clark—alongside union representatives from the
E tū
E tū is a New Zealand trade union created in October 2015 through the merger of the Service & Food Workers Union, the Flight Attendants and Related Services Union, and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union
The Engineering, Print ...
and the
Public Service Association
The Public Service Association ( mi, Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi) or PSA is a democratic trade union
that represents over workers in the Aotearoa New Zealand public sector.
The aims of the PSA are:
* strong public and community services
* ...
as well as the
Ministry of Social Development and the
Accident Compensation Corporation
The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) ( mi, Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga Whara) is the New Zealand Crown entity responsible for administering the country's no-fault accidental injury compensation scheme, commonly referred to as the ACC sch ...
—signed a NZ$173.5 million pay equity agreement to pay 5,000 mental health and addiction workers more. Later that month, he announced that the District Health Boards, Nurses Organisation, and the
Ministry of Health had successfully negotiated a joint accord to ensure safe staffing levels for nurses.
In early September 2018, Clark suspended the troubled Oracle IT project to overhaul the District Health Boards' ageing IT systems. The troubled project had cost NZ$100 million. In mid-November, Clark announced that the Government had scrapped plans for a proposed third medical school in the
Waikato
Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...
region on the grounds that the project would have cost billions to set up and operate. On 19 November, he also announced that the Government would establish a NZ$20 million new health centre in the
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
town of
Westport.
COVID-19 pandemic
As Minister of Health, Clark took a leadership role in the Government's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
The COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand is part of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case of the disease in New Zealand was reported on 28 February 2 ...
. In early April 2020, Clark drew media attention and public criticism when he drove to a Dunedin park two kilometres away from his home to ride a mountain bike trail despite the Government's COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Clark later apologised to Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the member of ...
for ignoring official guidelines advising against non-essential travel. During the first week of the country's national lock-down he also drove his family twenty kilometres to a beach for a walk. Ardern subsequently announced that Clark offered his resignation, but due to his role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she did not accept it, instead depriving him of his ministerial role as Associate Finance Minister and demoting him to the bottom of Labour's
Cabinet ranking.
In late June 2020, Clark attracted media attention and criticism following a press conference at which he stated, "The director-general has accepted that protocols weren't being followed, he has accepted responsibility for that and has set about putting it right".
His remark was interpreted by some journalists as blaming Bloomfield for the Ministry of Health's mismanagement of quarantine following a recent outbreak stemming from overseas travel.
''
The Spinoff
''The Spinoff'' is a New Zealand online magazine and news website that was founded in 2014. It is known for current affairs coverage, political and social analysis, and cultural commentary. It earns money through commercial sponsorship and su ...
'' editor
Toby Manhire opined that Clark's "humility bypass" created problems for Ardern's government. Left-wing commentator
Chris Trotter
Christopher Marshall Trotter (born 1956) is a political commentator in New Zealand. He is the editor of the occasional '' Political Review'' magazine.
Biography
Chris Trotter has worked for unions and was on the New Zealand Council (the nationa ...
described Clark's handling of the situation as "shameful" and called on Ardern to dismiss him from his position. Right-wing commentator Trish Anderson criticised Clark for not "'pulling his weight' in the government" and criticised Ardern's perceived inaction against him as a "failure of leadership." Clark's
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read refer ...
article was also vandalised with remarks attacking his handling of the press conference with Bloomfield.
In early July 2020, Clark announced that he was resigning as Minister of Health, stating that "I've always taken a view that the team must come first ... so I've made the call that it's best for me to step aside." Ardern accepted his resignation, stating that she "accepted Clark's conclusion that his presence in the role was creating an unhelpful distraction from the Government's ongoing response to Covid-19 and wider health reforms."
Second term, 2020–present
During the
2020 New Zealand general election
The 2020 New Zealand general election was held on Saturday 17 October 2020 to determine the composition of the 53rd parliament. Voters elected 120 members to the House of Representatives, 72 from single-member electorates and 48 from closed ...
held on 17 October, Clark contested the
Dunedin electorate and was re-elected, defeating National candidate
Michael Woodhouse
Michael Allan Woodhouse (born 1965) is a National member of the New Zealand Parliament.
Early years
Woodhouse was born and raised in South Dunedin, the fifth of nine children. He attended St Patrick's, St Edmund's and St Pauls High School, no ...
by a margin of 15,521 votes.
On 2 November 2020, Prime Minister Ardern announced that Clark would be returning to Cabinet but would not be holding his former Health portfolio. Instead, he would pick up the Commerce and Consumer Affairs,
Statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...
, Digital Economy and Communication and
State Owned Enterprises
A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...
portfolios, as well as becoming Minister Responsible for the
Earthquake Commission
The Earthquake Commission, ( mi, Kōmihana Rūwhenua), is a New Zealand Crown entity that invests in natural disaster research and education as well as providing natural disaster insurance to residential property owners. In March 2022, a bill ...
. During the 2020&ndash2023 term, Clark sponsored the
Grocery Industry Competition Bill
A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
, which seeks to address excessive supermarket profits and encourage more competition within that sector. He also took an interest in the
Commerce Commission
The Commerce Commission ( mi, Te Komihana Tauhokohoko) is a New Zealand government agency with responsibility for enforcing legislation that relates to competition in the country's markets, fair trading and consumer credit contracts, and regula ...
's research into the supermarket, construction supplies, and banking sectors.
On 13 December 2022, Clark announced his intention to retire from politics at the
next general election.
Personal life
Clark is married to Katrina, and they have three children. His brother, Ben, stood for Labour in the
North Shore at the 2011 election, placing second behind
Maggie Barry
Margaret Mary Barry (born 5 October 1959), generally known as Maggie Barry, is a New Zealand politician and former member of the House of Representatives, first elected in the 2011 general election. She is a member of the National Party, and ...
. During his university years, Clark was a competitive cyclist and has twice completed the
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a swim, a bicycle ride and a marathon run completed in that order, a total of . It is widely consider ...
.
References
External links
Official websiteProfileon New Zealand Labour Party website
on New Zealand Parliament website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, David
1973 births
Living people
New Zealand Labour Party MPs
New Zealand Presbyterian ministers
Politicians from Auckland
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
New Zealand MPs for Dunedin electorates
University of Otago alumni
21st-century New Zealand politicians
Candidates in the 2017 New Zealand general election
Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand
Candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election