Harry Duynhoven

Harry James Duynhoven is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party.

Duynhoven was born in New Plymouth in 1955. He left school at age sixteen to become an electrician, and eventually became technical teacher at the collegiate and polytechnic level. Duynhoven entered Parliament in the 1987 elections, winning the New Plymouth seat from incumbent National Party MP, Tony Friedlander. In the 1990 elections, he lost the seat to National's John Armstrong, but won it back in the 1993 elections. He has held the seat since then.

In 2003, it was alleged that Duynhoven might have accidentally violated an electoral regulation, thus depriving him of his seat. This claim arose after Duynhoven applied to resume his citizenship of the Netherlands. His father was from the Netherlands, and Duynhoven had possessed citizenship from birth, but had temporarily lost it due to a change of Netherlands law. According to electoral law, applying for foreign citizenship would require Duynhoven to vacate his seat. The law was seen by many as misguided, however, and Duynhoven, with his huge majority, was almost certain to re-enter Parliament in the event of a by-election. As such, the government passed an act retroactively amending the law.

Duynhoven currently serves as a Minister outside Cabinet.

External links

* [http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/MPs/e/1/6/48MP691-Duynhoven-Harry.htm Page on Parliamentary website]