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A man who has spent plenty of time in the world's troublespots has just been handed a tough political assignment in New Zealand.
David Shearer has been chosen as Labour's candidate for the by-election in the Auckland seat vacated by former Prime Minister Helen Clark after 27 years.
Labour has held the Mt Albert seat for more than half a century and Shearer acknowledges he was up against a really high calibre of people.
"Coming through is a real thrill," he says.
Shearer has the support of his party president and leader Phil Goff who he once worked alongside as a former advisor.
He is renown for his international rather than local experience as a former aid worker in hotspots like Somalia, Rwanda and Kosovo. Most recently he worked as a United Nations special representative in Iraq but he has come home to pursue a new career as a Labour MP.
Shearer was always the favourite of the eight nominees but some members feel he has been foisted on them, was hand-picked by the Labour hierarchy and say the selection process was a farce.
"David's just recently moved into the community, he doesn't know the local issues, isn't familiar with the dynamics of this electorate and he's got a lot of work to do even to capture and keep the Labour Party supporters in this area," says party member Dean Hamilton.
But party leader Phil Goff denies any stitch up.
"We had eight candidates and I would have been happy with any of the eight that stood," says Goff.
And Shearer has rejected concerns he has helicoptered into a community he doesn't have enough of a bond with.
"People acknowledge I've been away but I've got a house here, we lived here before so it's really like coming home," he says.
Others would have liked to have seen a female candidate selected but most are pleased with the choice.
Shearer now hits the campaign trail in earnest with 40 days until the election. Clark held the seat by more than 10,000 votes at the last election but the new man is facing a tough battle in what is expected to be a much tighter contest.
