Terence Michael Heffernan (3 February 1952 – 13 March 2010) was a New Zealand politician who stood for Parliament on eight separate occasions. Heffernan was originally a member of theSocial Credit Party before joining theNew Zealand First Party and later, theNew Zealand National Party.
He was born inOamaru and attendedSt Bede's College inChristchurch. He obtained a degree in history and economics at theUniversity of Canterbury after starting an accounting degree. He taught atChristchurch Boys' High School andXavier College, but with a passion for politics became aparliamentary researcher forBruce Beetham and thenWinston Peters. He admired 1930sLabour politiciansSavage andLee.
Originally a stalwart of theSocial Credit Party, he represented them in the1979 Christchurch Central by-election and came second; Labour'sGeoffrey Palmer won the seat.
Heffernan stood in theWanganui electorate in five general elections:[1]
In 1987 he came second toLabour'sRussell Marshall, who had an election-night majority of only 27 (though Marshall's final majority was 248).
In1996 Heffernan stood forNew Zealand First inAlbany, againstMurray McCully.[2]
In the2008 election, he stood as theNational Party candidate for theChristchurch electorate ofPort Hills, though already weakened by cancer.[3]
Heffernan died in Christchurch on 13 March 2010, and his funeral was celebrated in St Joseph's Catholic Church in Papanui, Christchurch. A notice of motion in remembrance was lodged byRuth Dyson in parliament on 18 March 2010.[4]