David Allan Highet was a New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1966 to 1984, representing the National Party for Remuera, holding the then largest majorities in the House.
Early life and family
Highet was born in Dunedin, the second son of David and Elsie Highet. He attended Otago Boys' High School. Highet's older brother, William Bremner Highet, was an Otago University scholar and professor of neurosurgery, who died when the was sunk in 1942. Highet's uncle was Harry Highet, the civil engineer who designed the P-class yacht. Highet attended the University of Otago, from where he graduated with a BCom. Highet tried to enlist in the New Zealand Army in World War II, but was declined due to having suffered from tuberculosis in the 1930s. He served in the Home Guard, reaching the rank of Captain. Highet practised as an accountant and businessman, and was active in the establishment of the Wellington division of the National Party. In the 1950s, Highet was a Wellington City Councillor after winning a 1955 by-election. In 1954, Highet won the National nomination for the electorate. Highet's opponent, Labour candidate Frank Kitts, went on to win the seat, and later became the longest-serving Mayor of Wellington. Highet moved to Auckland in the 1950s, becoming the senior partner in Highet and Toomey, an Auckland accounting firm. Highet was first married to Patricia Hoyles, and they had a daughter and a son. Highet later married prominent New Zealand artist and television personality Shona McFarlane.
In 1976, Highet introduced the Waitangi Day Act, changing the name of New Zealand's national day back to Waitangi Day. In 1977, following a petition to the House, Highet introduced God Defend New Zealand, as New Zealand's official national anthem alongside God Save the Queen. As Minister of Internal Affairs, Highet oversaw the passage of the Citizenship Act 1977, establishing a New Zealand Citizenship as a separate citizenship, and making British citizens legal aliens for the first time. In November 1979 Highet suggested that the design of the Flag of New Zealand should be changed, and sought an artist to design a new flag with a silver fern on the fly. The proposal attracted little support however.
In 1977, Highet introduced the expression "Think Big" in a speech to a National Party Conference, as a description of the Government's then-ambitious major projects in the Energy sector. Highet, as Minister of Racing, named the policy after Melbourne Cup-winning racehorse Think Big. Highet was considered to be a social liberal, and was among a handful of economically liberal members of Muldoon's cabinet.
Highet was Minister for Sport during the 1981 Springbok Tour. While Prime Minister Muldoon announced that the New Zealand Government would not intervene to stop the tour going ahead, Highet made public statements indicating that he could use his authority as Internal Affairs Minister, responsible for lotteries funding, to withdraw financial contributions to the New Zealand Rugby Union if the Tour proceeded.
Retirement
Highet suffered grave illness in early 1984, one of the reasons Muldoon called a snap election. Highet retired from politics at the 1984 elections, at the age of 71. National Party member Doug Graham, who had unsuccessfully challenged Highet for the National Party nomination in 1981, won the selection, and succeeded Highet that year. In the 1986 New Year Honours, Highet was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.
