▁after ▁his ▁bid ▁for ▁its ▁leadership ▁was ▁accepted ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁A CT ▁c au cus ▁and ▁board . ▁He ▁res igned ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁due ▁to ▁A CT ' s ▁poor ▁showing ▁in ▁the ▁election , ▁and ▁its ▁failure ▁to ▁gain ▁any ▁seats ▁apart ▁from ▁its ▁elect or ate ▁strong - hold ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁Child hood , ▁education ▁and ▁marriage ▁ ▁Don ▁Br ash ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁Alan ▁Br ash , ▁a ▁Pres by ter ian ▁minister ▁and ▁son ▁of ▁prominent ▁lay ▁leader ▁Thomas ▁Br ash , ▁and ▁El je an ▁Br ash ▁( née ▁Hill ), ▁in ▁Wh ang an ui ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁His ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Christ ch urch ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁six . ▁He ▁attended ▁C ash m ere ▁Primary ▁School ▁and ▁Christ ch urch ▁Boys ' ▁High ▁School ▁before ▁going ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Can ter bury ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁econom ics , ▁history ▁and ▁political ▁science . ▁He ▁continued ▁his ▁studies ▁in ▁econom ics , ▁receiving ▁his ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁for ▁a ▁th esis ▁arg uing ▁that ▁foreign ▁invest ment ▁dam aged ▁a ▁country ' s ▁economic ▁development . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁he ▁began ▁working ▁towards ▁a ▁Ph D ▁( ag ain ▁in ▁econom ics , ▁at ▁the ▁Australian ▁National ▁University ), ▁which ▁reached ▁the ▁opposite ▁conclusion . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁Br