Brian Elwood
Sir Brian Elwood New Zealand Chief Ombudsman | |
---|---|
In office December 1994 – June 2003 | |
Preceded by | John Robertson |
Succeeded by | John Belgrave |
23rd Mayor of Palmerston North | |
In office 1971–1985 | |
Preceded by | Desmond Barry Black |
Succeeded by | Paul Rieger |
Personal details | |
Born | Brian George Conway Elwood 5 April 1933 Palmerston North, New Zealand |
Political party | National Party |
Spouse |
Dawn Barbara Ward
(m. 1956; died 2022) |
Children | 3 |
Profession | Barrister |
Sir Brian George Conway Elwood
Early life and family
Born in Palmerston North on 5 April 1933, Elwood was educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School.[2][3] He studied at Victoria University College, graduating Bachelor of Laws in 1958.[3][4]
In 1956, Elwood married Dawn Barbara Ward, and the couple went on to have three children.[3]
Career
Elwood is a barrister and solicitor. He was first elected to the Palmerston North City Council in 1968 and became the mayor from 1971 to 1985. He was an executive member of the Municipal Association of New Zealand from 1974 to 1985, and president of the association from 1976 to 1979. Other positions were chairman of the Manawatu United Council, member of the Wellington Harbour Board, Commissioner for the Wellington Area Health Board and a member of the Massey University Council.[5]
Elwood contested the Palmerston North electorate in the 1981 election for the National Party. He was defeated by Labour's Trevor de Cleene, with whom he had a long-standing rivalry.[2]
Elwood was chairman of the Local Government Commission from 1 April 1985 to 1 November 1992.[6] In 1989 this commission undertook a major
Elwood was appointed an ombudsman in November 1992, and Chief Ombudsman in December 1994, holding this position until June 2003. In 1999 he was elected President of the International Ombudsman Institute.[1] In this role, in July 2000 he met with President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan, discussing human rights protection.[9] He retired from the International Ombudsman Institute in 2002.[5] Speaking to the 9th World Conference of the International Ombudsman Institute in Stockholm in 2009, he attributed the growing acceptance of independent review of government operations to a "shift away from the primacy of nation state towards the primacy of the individual citizen and how they were to be regarded by the nation state".[10]
In 2008 Elwood was chairman of the
Honours and awards
In 1977, Elwood was awarded the
Elwood was conferred an honorary Doctor of Literature degree by Massey University in 1993.[5]
Later life
Elwood was widowed by the death of his wife, Dawn, Lady Elwood, in 2022.[15]
References
- ^ a b "Past Ombudsmen". Office of the Ombudsmen. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ a b Hancock, Mervyn (December 2005). "Trevor Albert De Cleene : Member of Parliament for Palmerston North 1981–1990" (PDF). Palmerston North Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
- ^ "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: Dr–E". Shadows of Time. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- ^ a b c "Sir Brian Elwood is to retire" (PDF). Office of the Ombudsmen. March 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2010.
- ^ "Commission Members since 1947". Local Government Commission. Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ Brian Rudman (15 August 2007). "Brian Rudman: Sir Brian Elwood struck the right note with big reforms of 19890". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ Ron Lambert. "Whangamomona". NZ Geographic. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ "President Chen Meets with Sir Brian Elwood". Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan). 11 July 2000. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ Sir Anand Satyanand (6 May 2010). "Speech to the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association Conference, Wellington". Governor General of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ "Waterview Connection PPP Procurement Investigation". Treasury of New Zealand. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ^ Annette King (26 August 2008). "Government welcomes steering group finding on Waterview Connection PPP". New Zealand Government.
- ^ "No. 49970". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1984. p. 2.
- ^ "No. 51982". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 30 December 1989. p. 29.
- ^ "Lady Elwood obituary". Manawatū Standard. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.