Kelvin Davis was born and bred in Te Tai Tokerau and has lived there all his life apart from the time he spent training to be a teacher and the first three years of his teacing career when he taught in South Auckland.

Kelvin rose quickly through the teaching ranks becoming a Deputy principal after three years and a Principal after just six years teaching.

After only four years as a principal he was seconded as an Advisor to Principals and travelled around schools north of Whangarei offering policy advice, guidance and support to other Principals and Boards of Trustees.

This he followed up with a twelve month stint with the Ministry of Education before deciding it was time to get back into a school. In 2001 he became the Principal of Kaitaia Intermediate School which at the time had the reputation of being the school most at risk north of Auckland.

In 2004 Kelvin's work at kaitaia Intermediate School was recognised by him receiving a Woolf Fisher fellowship which enabled him to spend three months travelling the world and visiting schools.

His particular interest was indigenous education which enabled him to visit schools in Hawaii, US and Canadian reservation schools and Welsh Immersion schools in the UK.

The highlight of the fellowship being a two week School Leadership Course at Harvard University.

Kelvin is an sport adict. He played competitive club rugby until he was forty and will follow any sport.

He is married with three beautiful, intelligent, respectful children.

Kelvin is proud of his links to his hapu of Ngati Manu and he is most at home mucking around on his marae in Karetu in the Bay of Islands with his cousins, uncles and family.

Kelvin's move into politics came about because of his success as a Maori educator. He was very vocal in his community about the conditions necessary to ensure Maori achieve beyond their potential.

Kelvin enters politics with a focus on improving outcomes for Maori and believes education is the vehicle that will enable Maori to become fulfill their aspirations.

He believes that Treaty settlements are but the cream on the cake, and not the cake itself - he believes that education is that path that Maori need to take to enable us all to achieve greater health, wealth and happiness.

He believes Maori will struggle to assert any meaningful influence over the leadership and direction of Aotearoa/ New Zealand while we allow ourselves to languish academically.

Contact details:

Parliamentary Office
Address: Freepost PO Box 18 888, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160
Phone: 04 817 8207
Email: kelvin.davis@parliament.govt.nz

Electorate Office
Address: 35 Roberts St, PO Box 1230, Whangarei
Phone: 09 430 7922
Email: kelvindavismp@parliament.govt.nz