Mervyn Langlois WellingtonQSO (6 October 1940 – 7 September 2003) was a New Zealand politician of theNational Party.
Wellington was born inInglewood in 1940,[1] and received his education atNew Plymouth Boys' High School and theUniversity of Auckland.[2] He married Elizabeth Helen Bean in 1961 and the couple had three daughters.[1] After a period as a social welfare worker between 1959 and 1961, Wellington became a school teacher and taught atSt Stephen's School,Pukekohe High School andRuapehu College.[1] He was also a Methodist lay preacher and served as aPukekohe borough councillor.[1]
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1978 | 38th | Manurewa | National | ||
| 1978–1981 | 39th | Papakura | National | ||
| 1981–1984 | 40th | Papakura | National | ||
| 1984–1987 | 41st | Papakura | National | ||
| 1987–1990 | 42nd | Papakura | National | ||
He represented theManurewa electorate from 1975 to 1978, and then thePapakura electorate from 1978 to 1990, when he retired.
Wellington served as a Cabinet minister, being theMinister of Education from 13 December 1978 to 26 July 1984. During his tenure as Education Minister, he regularly courted controversy with teacher unions on various issues.[3] Wellington was aMuldoon loyalist, and was demoted after National's1984 election defeat.
In 1977, Wellington was awarded theQueen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1990 he received theNew Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[4] In the1993 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed aCompanion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.[5]
Wellington died in 2003, following a long illness.[2]
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Manurewa 1975–1978 | Succeeded by |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Papakura 1978–1990 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Education 1978–1984 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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