David Carter (politician)
Encyclopedia
David Cunningham Carter (born 3 April 1952) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 politician, currently a government cabinet minister. He is a member of 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:...

.

Early life

Carter attended St Bede's College
St Bede's College, Christchurch
St. Bede's College is a Roman Catholic day and boarding school in Christchurch, New Zealand for boys aged 13 to 18 . St. Bede's is the oldest Roman Catholic Boys' College in New Zealand's South Island. It is also the only Catholic day and boarding college for boys in New Zealand's South Island....

 in Christchurch, and has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree from Lincoln University
Lincoln University, New Zealand
Lincoln University is a New Zealand university that was formed in 1990 when Lincoln College, Canterbury was made independent of the University of Canterbury...

. He has farmed sheep and cattle for over thirty years, and established the first commercial cattle-embryo transplant company in New Zealand in 1974.

Member of Parliament

Carter was first elected to Parliament in the 1994 by-election in Selwyn
Selwyn by-election 1994
The Selwyn by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Selwyn, a predominantly rural district in the middle of New Zealand's South Island. It took place on 13 August 1994, and was precipitated by the resignation from parliament of siting MP Ruth Richardson...

, replacing the resigning Ruth Richardson
Ruth Richardson
Ruth Richardson served as New Zealand's Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993, and is known for her strong pursuit of free-market economic reforms .-Early life:...

. In the 1996 general 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...

, he contested and won the Banks Peninsula electorate, but was defeated in 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...

 by Labour
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

's Ruth Dyson
Ruth Dyson
Ruth Suzanne Dyson is a New Zealand politician. She is a member of the Labour Party and has been a Member of Parliament since 1993.-Early years:...

. He instead entered Parliament as a list MP
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...

. In the 2002 election
New Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...

, he failed to recapture his seat, and so remained a list MP.

Carter has held several ministerial positions in his career. From 1998 until the National Party's defeat in 1999, he served as Minister for Senior Citizens, as well as Associate Minister of Revenue and Associate Minister for Food, Fibre, Biosecurity and Border Control. At the very end of National's term in office, he was also Associate Minister of Education. In 2008, Carter was initially chosen as the National candidate for the resurrected safe National seat of the Selwyn electorate
Selwyn (New Zealand electorate)
Selwyn is the name of three seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives, based around towns on the outskirts of Christchurch city. In an historical sense, the name refers to an electorate that existed between 1866 and 1919...

, but opposition to this saw the National candidacy up for grabs again, eventually won by Amy Adams
Amy Adams (politician)
Amy Adams is a member of the New Zealand Parliament. She currently represents the Selwyn electorate and is a member of the National Party.-Private life:...

, who ultimately won the seat. Carter pulled out of the race and was given a high list placing instead. After National's election victory, he took the portfolios of Agriculture, Biosecurity and Forestry.

External links

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