Sir Don McKinnon | |
|---|---|
 McKinnon in 2012 | |
| 4thSecretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations | |
| In office 1 April 2000 – 31 March 2008 | |
| Head | Elizabeth II |
| Chair | Thabo Mbeki(South Africa) John Howard(Australia) Olusegun Obasanjo(Nigeria) Lawrence Gonzi(Malta) Yoweri Museveni(Uganda) |
| Preceded by | Emeka Anyaoku |
| Succeeded by | Kamalesh Sharma |
| 12thDeputy Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
| In office 2 November 1990 – 16 December 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Jim Bolger |
| Preceded by | Helen Clark |
| Succeeded by | Winston Peters |
| 24thMinister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 2 November 1990 – 5 December 1999 | |
| Prime Minister | Jim Bolger Jenny Shipley |
| Preceded by | Mike Moore |
| Succeeded by | Phil Goff |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forAlbany Rodney (1984–1987) | |
| In office 25 November 1978 – 12 October 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Murray McCully |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forNationalparty list | |
| In office 12 October 1996 – 6 March 2000 | |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Anae[n 1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Donald Charles McKinnon (1939-02-27)27 February 1939 (age 86) London, England |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Party | National |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Walter McKinnon (father) Ian McKinnon (brother) John McKinnon (brother) Malcolm McKinnon (brother) |
Sir Donald Charles McKinnonONZ GCVO PC (born 27 February 1939) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 12thdeputy prime minister of New Zealand and theminister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the fourthsecretary-general of theCommonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008.
McKinnon was born inBlackheath, London. His father was Major-GeneralWalter McKinnon, CB CBE, a New Zealand Chief of the General Staff, and once Chairman ofNew Zealand Broadcasting Corporation. McKinnon's brothers include the twinsJohn McKinnon, the former New Zealand Secretary of Defence and a former Ambassador to China, andMalcolm McKinnon, an editor and academic, andIan McKinnon, Pro-Chancellor ofVictoria University of Wellington, School Headmaster ofScots College and former DeputyMayor of Wellington. The McKinnon brothers are great-great-grandsons ofJohn Plimmer, known as the "father of Wellington".[1]
McKinnon was educated at Khandallah School and thenNelson College from 1952 to 1953.[2] In 1956, he graduated fromWoodrow Wilson High School, inWashington, D.C.[3] McKinnon later spent a "lengthy period" in theBighorn Mountains inWyoming.[3] He undertook study atLincoln Agricultural College, New Zealand. After leaving university, he became a farm manager, and later a farm management consultant. In 1974, he became a real estate agent. In his spare time, he also worked as a rehabilitation tutor in prisons.[citation needed]
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–1981 | 39th | Albany | National | ||
| 1981–1984 | 40th | Albany | National | ||
| 1984–1987 | 41st | Rodney | National | ||
| 1987–1990 | 42nd | Albany | National | ||
| 1990–1993 | 43rd | Albany | National | ||
| 1993–1996 | 44th | Albany | National | ||
| 1996–1999 | 45th | List | 2 | National | |
| 1999–2000 | 46th | List | 3 | National | |
In the elections of1969 and1972, McKinnon stood unsuccessfully as theNational Party's candidate in theBirkenhead electorate, having previously served on two of the party's electorate committees. In theelection of 1978, McKinnon won the newly established seat ofAlbany, which covered much of the same area.
In 1980, McKinnon was made the government's juniorWhip. Two years later, he was made senior Whip. When Prime MinisterRobert Muldoon called thesnap election of1984, and was defeated byDavid Lange'sNew Zealand Labour Party, McKinnon remained senior Whip for his party inOpposition. In September 1987, following National's defeat at the August election, he became deputy leader of the National Party after defeatingRuth Richardson for the position by just one vote.[4] He was also appointed Shadow Minister of Defence and Shadow Minister of Health by leaderJim Bolger.[5]
When National, then led byJim Bolger, won the1990 election, McKinnon became Deputy Prime Minister. He also became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister of Pacific Island Affairs. During his tenure in the former role, he oversaw New Zealand's election to theUN Security Council, increased activity in the Commonwealth of Nations, and attempts to broker a truce on the island ofBougainville. He received recognition as a result of the Bougainville negotiations.
In 1996, the National Party required the support of theNew Zealand First party to form a government, and part of the coalition agreement gave the office of Deputy Prime Minister to New Zealand First leaderWinston Peters. McKinnon kept his role as Minister of Foreign Affairs, however, and also becameMinister of Disarmament and Arms Control. When the coalition with New Zealand First collapsed, McKinnon did not resume the Deputy Prime Minister's role as he had been replaced beforehand as Deputy National Party leader byWyatt Creech and therefore Creech became Deputy Prime Minister instead, although he did gain the minor responsibility of Minister in Charge of War Pensions. McKinnon retired from parliament shortly after the1999 election, being replaced byArthur Anae.
During his time as New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, McKinnon had been highly involved with the Commonwealth. At theCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1999 (CHOGM), inDurban, he was elected to the office of Secretary General. Since that time, he has had to deal with issues such asZimbabwe'sRobert Mugabe andGeorge Speight's attempted nationalist coup inFiji. McKinnon has also placed an emphasis on supporting "good governance".
In late 2003, New Zealand media reported that Zimbabwe was attempting to gather support from other Commonwealth members to remove McKinnon from the office of Secretary-General, presumably in retaliation for McKinnon's views about the issue of Zimbabwean democracy. The government of Zimbabwe denied that it was making any such efforts.
At the opening of the2003 CHOGM, inNigeria on 5 December, McKinnon was challenged for the position of Secretary-General byLakshman Kadirgamar, a former Foreign Minister ofSri Lanka. However, McKinnon defeated Kadirgamar in a vote reported to be 40–11 in McKinnon's favour.
McKinnon received an Honorary Doctorate fromHeriot-Watt University in 2005[6]
In 2007 McKinnon attempted to mediate between Fiji and the Australian and New Zealand governments in their continuing dispute over the appropriate timetable and rules for the holding of Fijian election in 2008.[7]
In a 2007 interview McKinnon criticised British public support for evictedwhite farmers in Zimbabwe as being "a bit of a guilt thing" and argued that the evictions were justified as there was "no way you can justify a society where 15,000 white farmers control 80 per cent of the most fertile land".[8]
In the2008 New Year Honours, McKinnon was appointed as aMember of the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand's highest civilian honour.[9]
In 2009, McKinnon was appointed aKnight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order for services to the Commonwealth.[10][11] He is a vice-president of theRoyal Commonwealth Society.
Don McKinnon Drive is named after McKinnon, in his former electorate of Albany.
In April 2013, McKinnon released his memoirs of his time as Secretary General of the Commonwealth, entitledIn The Ring.[12][13]
McKinnon is chairman of theGlobal Panel Foundation Australasia, a non-governmental organisation that works in crisis areas around the world.[14]
McKinnon is married to his second wife, former journalistClare de Lore, and together they have a son. McKinnon also has four other children from a previous marriage.[15]
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Albany 1978–1984 1987–1996 | Vacant Constituency abolished, recreated in 1987 Title next held by himself |
| Vacant Constituency abolished in 1984 Title last held by himself | Succeeded by | |
| Vacant Constituency abolished in 1978 Title last held by Peter Wilkinson | Member of Parliament for Rodney 1984–1987 | Vacant Constituency abolished, recreated in 1996 Title next held by Lockwood Smith |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary-General for the Commonwealth 2000–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Affairs 1990–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand 1990–1996 | Succeeded by |
 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
