Thomas de Vere Hunt (19 January 1931 – 24 July 2023), generally known as Pat Hunt, was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Biography

Thomas de Vere Hunt was born in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

on 19 January 1931. He gained his education at

Mount Albert Grammar School Mount Albert Grammar School, commonly known as MAGS, is a co-educational state secondary school in Mount Albert in Auckland, New Zealand. It teaches students in year levels 9 to 13. , Mount Albert Grammar School is the second largest school in ...

and the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

, from where he graduated with a

Bachelor of Engineering A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university. In the UK, a Bache ...

degree in electrical engineering in 1959. In Hunt replaced

Gavin Downie Gavin Price Ansell Downie (5 December 1924 – 27 January 1998) was a Member of Parliament for Pakuranga in Auckland, New Zealand. Early life and career Gavin Downie was born in Auckland, New Zealand, 5 December 1924, not long after his parent ...

as the National candidate for

Pakuranga Pakuranga is an eastern suburb of Auckland, in northern New Zealand. Pakuranga covers a series of low ridges and previously swampy flats, now drained, that lie between the Pakuranga Creek and Tamaki River, two estuarial arms of the Hauraki Gu ...

, in a controversial challenge to a sitting MP. Downie stood as an Independent and the previous substantial majority was reduced, but Hunt was elected in 1978. Hunt narrowly held onto the electorate in when he was challenged by

Neil Morrison Neil Joseph Morrison (11 January 1938 – 19 September 2007) was a New Zealand politician of the Social Credit Party. Political career He won the seat in the by 172 votes, from two-term MP Pat Hunt (his election night majority was 419) ...

of the Social Credit Party. Morrison defeated Hunt at the . During the 1984 election campaign, Hunt coined the unflattering term "

Skoda Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...

brigade and

Crimplene Crimplene is a texturised continuous fibre launched in 1959, produced by modifying Terylene. The patent was taken out by Mario Nava of Chesline and Crepes Ltd of Macclesfield, and sold to ICI Fibres. ICI licensed the product to various throwsters ...

suit contingent" for Social Credit supporters. The Skoda company were angered by the remark and it became an epitaph to Hunt who later tried to be selected as a National candidate again, though his attempts were rebuffed. Hunt later joined

ACT New Zealand ACT New Zealand, known simply as ACT (), is a right-wing, classical-liberal political party in New Zealand. According to former party leader Rodney Hide, ACT's values are "individual freedom, personal responsibility, doing the best for our natur ...

instead where he found himself together with Morrison who had also joined the party. When appearing together at the inaugural ACT conference in 1994, Morrison acknowledged that many Social Creditors liked crimplene and one of his branch members drove a Skoda. In 1990, Hunt was awarded the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to approximately 3,000 people. Background The New Zea ...

. Hunt died in Auckland on 24 July 2023, at the age of 92.

References

1931 births 2023 deaths New Zealand National Party MPs Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates Unsuccessful candidates in the 1984 New Zealand general election ACT New Zealand politicians People educated at Mount Albert Grammar School University of Auckland alumni {{NZNational-politician-stub