KEY POINTS:
Former Government minister Brian Donnelly died yesterday, aged 58.
New Zealand Party leader Winston Peters told Parliament that Mr Donnelly had died at 2.20pm.
Mr Donnelly left Parliament this year to become High Commissioner to the Cook Islands.
He resigned from that position in August due to ill-health.
Mr Peters paid tribute to his former colleague, saying Mr Donnelly was a man of enormous integrity and character, a superb member of caucus and a loyal member of Parliament.
"I'm certain I can say that across the divide of politics he had friends everywhere," Mr Peters said.
Mr Donnelly was born in Auckland in November 1949.
He won a scholarship to Sacred Heart College and studied at Auckland and Masseyuniversities.
He gained a bachelor of education degree, and went on to work in the education field for the next 25 years.
He taught in primary, intermediate and secondary schools and was a headmaster.
He also served as deputy principal of a college in Rarotonga.
Mr Donnelly entered politics in 1996 as a list MP and was appointed associate minister of education in the National/NZ First coalition Government.
He is survived by his wife Linda and their three children.
- NZPA
