Annette King
Encyclopedia
Annette Faye King is a New Zealand politician. She is the current Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the New Zealand. She was a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand between 10 December 1999 and 19 November 2008.-Overview:The fourth National government, in power since 1990, was widely unpopular by 1999, with much of the public antagonised by a series of free-market economic reforms,...

.

Early life

King was born in Murchison
Murchison, New Zealand
Murchison is a town in the Tasman Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is near the western end of the "Four Rivers Plain", at the confluence of the Buller River and the Matakitaki River...

, a town in the Tasman
Tasman, New Zealand
The Tasman Region is both a region and a district of New Zealand. It borders with the West Coast Region, Marlborough Region and the Nelson Region. It is both a region and a unitary authority, and the District Council sits at Richmond, with Community Boards serving outlying communities in Motueka...

 region of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

. After receiving primary and secondary education in Murchison, she attended the University of Waikato
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...

 and gained a BA degree. She then obtained a post-graduate diploma in dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...

 nursing, and worked as a dental nurse from 1967 to 1981. She was a tutor of dental nursing in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

 from 1982 to 1984.

Political career

King joined the Labour Party in 1972, and has held various offices within the party (including a term on the party's Executive).

In the 1984 elections
New Zealand general election, 1984
The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating long-serving Prime Minister Robert Muldoon of the National Party. It was also the...

, she stood as the party's candidate for Horowhenua
Horowhenua (New Zealand electorate)
Horowhenua was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1978 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate covers the Horowhenua District, and the main towns are Levin.-History:...

, and was successful. She was re-elected in the 1987 election
New Zealand general election, 1987
The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 43rd sitting of the New Zealand Parliament. The governing New Zealand Labour Party, led by Prime Minister David Lange, was re-elected for a second term, although the Opposition National Party made gains...

.

Following the 1987 election, she was appointed parliamentary undersecretary to the Minister of Employment and of Social Welfare. In 1989, she was elevated to Cabinet, becoming Minister of Employment, Minister of Immigration, and Minister of Youth Affairs. She was also given special responsibility for liaising between Cabinet and the party caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...

.

In the 1990 election
New Zealand general election, 1990
The 1990 New Zealand general election was held on 27 October to determine the composition of the 43rd New Zealand parliament. The governing Labour Party was defeated, ending its controversial two terms in office...

, King lost her Horowhenua
Horowhenua (New Zealand electorate)
Horowhenua was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1978 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate covers the Horowhenua District, and the main towns are Levin.-History:...

 seat, and so found herself outside Parliament. She served as Chief Executive of the Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...

 Enterprise Board from 1991 until the 1993 election
New Zealand general election, 1993
The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New...

, when she was returned to Parliament as the MP for Miramar
Miramar (New Zealand electorate)
Miramar was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the south-eastern suburbs of Wellington. It was created in 1946, replacing Wellington East, and was replaced by Rongotai for the first MMP election of 1996.-History:...

. In the 1996 election
New Zealand general election, 1996
The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...

, when the shift to MMP prompted a reorganization of electorates, King successfully contested the new seat of Rongotai
Rongotai (New Zealand electorate)
Rongotai is a New Zealand electorate, returning a single member to the New Zealand House of Representatitves. The current MP for Rongotai is Annette King, of the Labour Party. She has held this position since 1996.-Description:...

, which she still represents. She was also ranked in sixth place on the Labour Party's first MMP party list.

When Labour won the 1999 election
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...

, and Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...

 became Prime Minister, King was appointed Minister of Health. She was ranked sixth within Cabinet. After winning a third term at the 2005 election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...

, King took on the roles of Minister of Transport and Minister of Police. Following another reshuffle in late 2007, King became the new Minister of Justice. Before the 2008 general election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...

 she was elevated to number four on the party list.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition

Labour was defeated in the 2008 election by the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

 led by relative newcomer John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....

. King retained her seat with a majority of about 7,800. Annette King became the deputy leader of the Labour Party in a special caucus meeting on 11 November 2008 replacing former Deputy Leader and Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...

 Michael Cullen. Phil Goff
Phil Goff
Philip Bruce Goff is the current Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. During the Fifth Labour Government, he served in a number of ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Defence of New Zealand, Minister of Corrections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and...

, another senior Labour Party member, became the leader of the Labour Party, replacing former Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...

. King will stand again for Rongotai
Rongotai (New Zealand electorate)
Rongotai is a New Zealand electorate, returning a single member to the New Zealand House of Representatitves. The current MP for Rongotai is Annette King, of the Labour Party. She has held this position since 1996.-Description:...

 in the 2011 general election. She is currently ranked Second in the Labour Party Caucus.

Annette King was selected as the Labour candidate for the Rongotai
Rongotai (New Zealand electorate)
Rongotai is a New Zealand electorate, returning a single member to the New Zealand House of Representatitves. The current MP for Rongotai is Annette King, of the Labour Party. She has held this position since 1996.-Description:...

 electorate in the 2011 election
New Zealand general election, 2011
The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party...

. Following the defeat of the Labour Party in the 2011 election, Annette King announced she will step down as Deputy Leader of the Labour party, and Deputy Leader of the Opposition effective 13 December 2011.

External links

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