Biography 

MP for Waimakariri

Minister of Immigration

Minister for Small Business

Minister for Sport and Recreation

Minister for Rugby World Cup

Associate Minister of Finance

Associate Minister of Justice

Current Ministerial Responsibilities:

• Member of Parliament for Waimakariri (elected 1999)
• Minister of Immigration
• Minister for Small Business
• Minister for Sport and Recreation
• Minister for Rugby World Cup
• Associate Minister of Finance
• Associate Minister of Justice
• Member of the Cabinet Economic Development Committee (EDC)
• Member of the Cabinet Committee on Government Expenditure and Administration (EXG), including the Ministerial Expenditure Review Group
• Member of External Relations and Defence Committee (ERD)
• Member of the Ministerial Committee on Drug Policy
• Oceania representative on the Executive Committee and Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Former Ministerial Responsibilities:

• Minister for Building and Constructio
• Minister of Statistics
• Associate Minister of Immigration

Former Parliamentary Responsibilities:

• Chairperson of the Finance & Expenditure Parliamentary Select Committee;
  
• Member of the Primary Production Parliamentary Select Committee;
• Appointed Member of Parliament Assisting the Minister of Information Technology and Member of the Government’s E-Commerce Action Team;
• Member of the Economic Caucus Committee;
• Member of the Social Services, Justice and Culture, Primary Production, and Local Government Caucus Committees.

Awards:

• Appointed an adjunct Senior Fellow in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Canterbury 2007;
• Awarded Associate Fellowship (the highest classification) of the New Zealand Institute of Management (NZIM) 2005;
• Forum of Young Global Leaders – selected as one of 237 Forum members worldwide in 2005 (first New Zealander to receive such an award);
  
• World Economic Forum’s 100 Global Leaders of Tomorrow (GLT) 2002 and invited to attend their annual meeting in New York City in 2002 and Davos 2003 & 2005 (first New Zealand politician to receive such an award);
• Appointed member of the World Economic Forum’s GLT Free Trade Task Force, whose objective is to promote global trade liberalisation (first New Zealand politician to receive such an appointment) 2002;
• Awarded the Lorima Marshall Scholarship 1987, Exhibition Award, Trinity College, London.

Education:

• Educated St Bede's College, Christchurch; New Zealand;
• The University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree (triple major); Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Career:

• Public Affairs Manager, Clear Communications Limited (then New Zealand’s second largest Telecommunication Company);
• Senior Parliamentary Advisor to then Prime Minister the Rt Hon Mike Moore;
• Former business owner providing strategic advice to companies regarding government, communication and public relations;
• Corporate Affairs Manager of the Churchill Group;
• Former member of the New Zealand Lotteries Board – National Funding Distribution Committee dealing with grants to the youth sector.

Current Appointments:

• Member of the Governing Board of the University of Canterbury’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programme Christchurch, New Zealand 2005;
  
• Member of the Advisory Board of the Public Sector Governance & Accountability Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia;
• Trustee of the Styx Living Laboratory Trust, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Lecturer:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programme University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2005;
• Dr Brendan Cassidy Speakers’ Forum 2001 - La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Publications include:

• “Impact of Mixed Member Proportional Representation on New Zealand Business” (Journal of Banking & Finance, Law & Practice, September 1996);
• “Voting Systems & Political Risk in New Zealand: the Effect of Proportional Representation on Foreign Investment” (International Company & Commercial Law Review August 1996);
• “MMP & New Zealand Business” (New Zealand Law Journal June 1996).

Labour Party:

• A member of the New Zealand Labour Party since age 14;
• Rt Hon Mike Moore’s Campaign Manager 1990 & 1993.

Memberships:

• Associate Member of the Returned Servicemen’s Association (RSA);
• Patron of North Canterbury Special Olympics;
• Patron of Tuahiwi Residents Association.

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