John Banks (politician, 1946)

John Banks (2010)

John Archibald Banks CNZM , QSO (born December 2, 1946 in Wellington ) is a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party (NP) and most recently of ACT New Zealand , who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1981 to 1999 and again between 2011 and 2014 and was a minister several times. He also served as Chairman of ACT New Zealand from 2011 to 2014.

Life

After attending Heretaunga College and Avondale College in Auckland, Banks worked for six years as a market researcher and salesperson for two international pharmaceutical companies. From 1976 to 1980 he worked in the constituency office of the New Zealand National Party (NP) for the constituency of Birkenhead . He began his political career in local politics when he was elected to the Birkenhead Council for the NP in 1977 . In 1978 he ran unsuccessfully for the NP in the Roskill constituency for a seat in the House of Representatives. He also became a member of the Auckland Regional Committee in 1980.

On August 15, 1981, Banks was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time as a candidate for the NP in the Whangarei constituency and was a member of the House until November 27, 1999. At the beginning of his parliamentary membership, he was a member of the Committee on Local Laws between 1981 and 1984, then in 1984 a member of both the Main Committee and the Committee on Public Expenditure, and most recently from 1987 to 1990 a member of the Rules Committee.

He was appointed Minister of Police by Prime Minister Jim Bolger on November 2, 1990 and held this office until November 20, 1993. At the same time, he was Minister of Tourism from November 2, 1990 to November 1, 1996 and from November 2, 1990 to November 19, 1996 November 1992 also Minister for Sport and Recreation. He was also Minister of Sport, Fitness and Recreation from November 19, 1992 to November 1, 1996, and Minister of Local Government from November 29, 1993 to November 1, 1996. He also served as Minister of Civil Defense from March 1 to November 1, 1996. In 2000 he was awarded the Queen's Service Order (QSO) for his services .

After leaving parliament, he replaced his fellow party member Christine Fletcher as mayor of Auckland in 2001 and held this position until he was replaced by Dick Hubbard in 2004. In 2007, he again replaced Dick Hubbard as mayor of Auckland and held this position until his replacement by Len Brown in 2007. He has also worked as a developer for commercial properties, as a partner in the Tony's Restaurant group, as a broadcaster and as a managing partner of Christopher and Banks Private Equity Ltd. In 2011, due to his services in local politics, he also became Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM ).

On November 27, 2011, Banks succeeded Don Brash as Chairman of ACT New Zealand and held this position until June 13, 2014, when he was replaced by Jamie Whyte . He was re-elected to the House of Representatives for ACT New Zealand on December 14, 2011, and represented the Epsom constituency there until June 13, 2014 . In the second government of Prime Minister John Key , Banks served as Minister for Regulatory Reform and Minister for Small Business between December 14, 2011 and October 16, 2013, as well as Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for Education. During this time, between December 20, 2011 and June 13, 2014, he was also a member of the Parliamentary Committee for Privileges and, most recently, from February 29, 2012 to June 13, 2014, also a member of the Parliamentary Committee for Companies. He was also a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International .

Web link

• Entry on the homepage of the New Zealand Parliament