David Spence Thomson (14 November 1915 – 25 October 1999) 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 (MC) 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 Federated Farmers. In 1953, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.

Parliamentary career

Thomson was first elected to Parliament, representing the Stratford electorate, in as a member of the National Party. He was returned for that electorate in every election until 1978, when it was disestablished. He served two terms as the Member of Parliament for Taranaki (the replacement seat) from 1978 to 1984, when he retired. When Thomson entered Parliament, Keith Holyoake's government was in its second term. Thomson was appointed a minister in the government's third term, after the 1966 election. He initially held the roles of Minister of Defence, Minister in charge of Publicity, War Pensions and Rehabilitation, and Minister Assistant to the Prime Minister. Later he was also Minister of Tourism. For the government's fourth and final term, from 1969 to 1972, Thomson was Minister of Police and latterly in 1972 was Minister of Immigration. Thomson won re-election in 1972 but National was unable to form a government. He served as National's Labour and Immigration spokesperson under Jack Marshall, and as Justice, Police and Immigration spokesperson under Robert Muldoon. National formed a new government in 1975. Thomson was Minister of Justice from 1975 to 1978 and Minister of Defence and Leader of the House from 1978 to 1984, when he retired. In the 1993 New Year Honours, Thomson was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, for public services.

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