David Thomson (New Zealand politician)


David Spence Thomson was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Biography

Thomson was born in Stratford, the son of former Stratford mayor Percy Thomson. He was a dairy farmer.
He served in the Army in the Middle East in World War II and was a Prisoner of War in 1942. He was awarded the Military Cross later in 1942. He married June Grace Adams in April 1942. They had one son and three daughters.
In the post war years he was chairman of the Federated Farmers.

Parliamentary career

He represented the Stratford electorate from to 1978, and then the Taranaki electorate from to 1984, when he retired. He was a cabinet minister, holding the positions of Minister of Defence, Minister of Justice, Minister of Labour, Minister of Immigration, and Minister of Tourism.
In the 1993 New Year Honours, Thomson was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, for public services.

Footnotes