David Scott Clark (born 5 January 1973) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Dunedin from 2011 to 2023. He was the Minister of Health from 2017 until July 2020, when he resigned after multiple controversies related to the response to COVID-19. Previously he had been Opposition Spokesperson for Small Business and Economic Development.
In November 2020 he became the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Statistics, Digital Economy and Communications, State Owned Enterprises and the Minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission. Following his announcement on 13 December 2022 that he would be stepping down from politics at the next general election, his portfolios were transferred to other ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle on 31 January 2023.
Early life
Clark grew up in Beachlands, just south of Auckland, and was schooled in Auckland. He studied at Saint Kentigern College and spent his last year on a school exchange in Germany, immersing himself in the German language.
In 1991, Clark moved to Dunedin to study at the University of Otago. He initially studied medicine but abandoned that in favour of pursuing degrees in theology and philosophy. Clark also studied theology and philosophy at Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen.
Ordained in 1997, Clark is a Presbyterian minister. He worked as the Assistant Minister at St Lukes Presbyterian Church in Auckland. He was the celebrant at the civil union of MP Grant Robertson. Clark later returned to the University of Otago and completed a PhD on the work of German/New Zealand refugee and existentialist thinker Helmut Rex. He has also worked as a Treasury analyst and the warden of Selwyn College at the University of Otago. Before his election to Parliament, Clark served as deputy chair of the Otago Community Trust.
Member of Parliament
After serving as chairman on the Labour Party Dunedin North electorate committee, Clark was selected by the Labour Party to replace the retiring Pete Hodgson in the electorate. He won the seat at the 2011 election over National candidate Michael Woodhouse. Clark would defeat Woodhouse again in each of the following three elections, increasing his majority every time.
Opposition, 2011–2017
Clark's maiden parliamentary speech focused on his concern about rising inequality and his passion for social justice. In it, he argued that a more equal society will produce better outcomes, both socially and economically.
Under Labour leaders David Shearer, David Cunliffe and Andrew Little, Clark served as the party's spokesperson in a range of economic portfolios, including revenue, economic development and small business. In Opposition he served as Labour's spokesperson for various areas, including Revenue, Economic Development, Small Business, Tertiary Education, and Health. During his time as Revenue spokesperson, he drew attention to difficulties the dated Inland Revenue computer system was creating for the organisation, and the small amounts that multinational companies were contributing to the tax base.
Clark completed an Eisenhower Fellowship in 2013, focusing much of his trip on the priority accorded to the values of fairness and freedom in New Zealand and the United States. The same year, Parliament passed a private member's bill in Clark's name. The bill proposed "Mondayisation" of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day so that additional public holidays would be held if the true dates for those holidays occurred on a weekend. This was the first Bill to pass against the Government in four years.
After the retirement of long-serving Labour MP Annette King was announced in March 2017, Clark became the Labour Party's health spokesperson.
Sixth Labour Government, 2017–present
First term, 2017–2020
After the 2017 general election, the Labour Party formed a government with New Zealand First and the Greens. Clark was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Health and Associate Minister of Finance.
In late April 2018, Clark appointed three new chairs to head Auckland's three district health boards: Patrick Snedden for the Auckland District Health Board, Judy McGregor for the Waitematā District Health Board, and Vui Mark Gosche for the Counties Manukau District Health Board. These appointments replace Lester Levy, who had headed all three boards and resigned in December 2017. On 30 April 2018, Clark conceded that the Government would be unable to deliver on its election promise of reducing general practitioner fees but indicated that it would be introduced in phases over time.