Background
He was born in Oamaru and attended Street Bede"s College in Christchurch.
He was born in Oamaru and attended Street Bede"s College in Christchurch.
University of Canterbury.
He obtained a degree in history and economics at the University of Canterbury after starting an accounting degree. He taught at Christchurch Boys" High School and Xavier College, but with a passion for politics became a parliamentary researcher for Bruce Beetham and then Winston Peters. Heffernan stood in the Wanganui electorate in five general elections:
in 1981 for the Social Cr Party
in 1984 for the Democratic Party
in 1987 for the Democratic Party
in 1990 for the Alliance Party
in 1993 for the New Zealand First Party
In 1987 he came second to Labour"s Russell Marshall, who had an election-night majority of only 27 (though Marshall"s final majority was 248).
In 1996 Heffernan stood for New Zealand First in Albany, against Murray McCully.
In the 2008 election, he stood as the National Party candidate for the Christchurch electorate of Portuguese Hills, though already weakened by cancer. A notice of motion in remembrance was lodged by Ruth Dyson in parliament on 18 March 2010.
Originally a stalwart of the Social Cr Party, he represented them in the 1979 Christchurch Central by-election and came second. Labour’s Geoffrey Palmer won the seat.
Heffernan was originally a member of the Social Cr Party before joining the New Zealand First Party and later, the New Zealand National Party.