Perfect attributes for career path

David Benson-Pope

It is no wonder he is used to getting his own way. David Benson-Pope, 54, has been a big fish in the relatively small pond of Dunedin for much of his life.


For 24 years, Mr Benson-Pope was a tough and respected teacher at Bayfield High School, in Andersons Bay. Then, in 1986, he became a tough and respected city councillor. His reputation was as a staunch left-leaning man who got things done. A man people either loved or hated.


Bayfield, with its roll of around 800, is one of Otago's bigger co-ed schools. And it says something about Mr Benson-Pope that many of his past pupils remember him - either as a brilliant, inspirational teacher, or as someone to be feared.


His specialist subjects were German and outdoor education. He put serious effort into the job and he expected his students to do the same.


One past pupil remembers fondly a "cool" teacher. "He was there because he wanted to make a change in our lives. It was not 'just a job' to him."


When Mr Benson-Pope was elected to the Dunedin City Council, he was notable for his energy, single-mindedness and drive for left-wing policies and principles.


Teresa Stevenson, then a 29-year-old new councillor, got the schoolmaster treatment. "I'd get up and ramble on and he'd say, 'You're repeating yourself, young lady'. And I was. He wanted to get the job done as soon as possible."


Mr Benson-Pope and his wife, Jan Flood, were both driven to make the community better. "He wasn't a politician to be popular. He probably wasn't a school teacher to be popular," Ms Stevenson said.


The mayor at the time, Sukhi Turner, herself perceived as radical and upfront, remembers a robust debater who was among the group who "thought I should be brought to heel".


He was not afraid to upset people. One argument was over illegal parking. "He was for clamping down, I wasn't," Mrs Turner said. "I felt we could do it in a nicer way."


Overall, says Mrs Turner, "he was aggressive in what he did ... but didn't hit below the belt. I certainly wasn't intimidated by him".


For pleasure Mr Benson-Pope windsurfed Dunedin's icy beaches. He and Jan Flood, the registrar at Otago University, were a fixture at the city's receptions, openings and events.


People were happy when their late-life twins, Samantha and Henry, were born.


In 1999, with his impeccable Labour background and connections, he bolted in as MP for Dunedin South. His no-nonsense, drive-it-through style was welcomed in Parliament. He quickly became what shadow education minister Bill English calls "a Mr Fixit, a Clark favourite".


In 2002, Mr Benson-Pope became senior Government whip - and one of the more unpopular ones. He was, say some, a master of the dark art of politics.


In his second term, he was elevated to the Cabinet as Minister of Fisheries, Associate Justice Minister and Associate Environment Minister. Ten months later, he was Associate Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office.


Today, the family live in Mosgiel. It is a sensible address for an ambitious, no-nonsense, politician - near the airport.