Paul East
Encyclopedia
Paul Clayton East, CNZM
, QC
, (born 4 August 1946) is a former New Zealand
politician.
and The University of Auckland
He was a Member of Parliament
(MP) from 1978 to 1999, representing the National Party
.
Prior to becoming an MP, East, was a lawyer and barrister with East Brewster, a prominent Rotorua-based legal firm, from 1973 to 1978. East also enagaged in local politics as a member of the Rotorua
City Council which has now been subsumed into the Rotorua
District Council.
East is married and has three daughters.
as MP for Rotorua
, and retained that seat until he opted to become a list MP in the 1996 elections
.
East served in a number of ministerial roles, including those of Minister of Defence
and Attorney-General
in the fourth National government
. When Jenny Shipley
replaced Jim Bolger
as leader of the National Party, East was one of the minority who remained aligned with Bolger. In 1999, he resigned from Parliament to take up a position as New Zealand's High Commissioner in London
. He was replaced by Alec Neill
, the next candidate on National's party list.
in 1995 on behalf of New Zealand against France's nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean. East also headed the development of an advisory opinion to the UN General Assembly on the legality of Nuclear Testing in 1995. East was awarded the status of Queen's Counsel
(QC) while Attorney-General.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, (born 4 August 1946) is a former 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.
Early life
Paul East was educated at King's CollegeKing's College, Auckland
King's College is an independent secondary school in New Zealand. It was originally a boys-only school but now also admits girls in the sixth and seventh forms . The school has strong links to the Anglican church; the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, and the Dean of Auckland are permanent members of...
and The University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
He was a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) from 1978 to 1999, representing 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:...
.
Prior to becoming an MP, East, was a lawyer and barrister with East Brewster, a prominent Rotorua-based legal firm, from 1973 to 1978. East also enagaged in local politics as a member of the Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
City Council which has now been subsumed into the Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
District Council.
East is married and has three daughters.
Member of Parliament
East was first elected to Parliament in the 1978 electionNew Zealand general election, 1978
The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, retain office, although the opposition Labour Party managed to win the largest share of the vote...
as MP for Rotorua
Rotorua (New Zealand electorate)
Rotorua is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Rotorua is Todd McClay of the National Party, who won the seat in the 2008 general election from incumbent Labour MP Steve Chadwick.- Location :The...
, and retained that seat until he opted to become a list MP in the 1996 elections
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...
.
East served in a number of ministerial roles, including those of Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (New Zealand)
The Minister of Defence is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand armed forces and the Ministry of Defence.The present Minister is Dr...
and Attorney-General
Attorney-General (New Zealand)
The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office, and has responsibility for supervising New Zealand law and advising the government on legal matters...
in the fourth National government
Fourth National Government of New Zealand
The Fourth National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 2 November 1990 to 27 November 1999. Following in the footsteps of the previous Labour government, the fourth National government embarked on an extensive programme of spending cuts...
. When Jenny Shipley
Jenny Shipley
Dame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
replaced Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
as leader of the National Party, East was one of the minority who remained aligned with Bolger. In 1999, he resigned from Parliament to take up a position as New Zealand's High Commissioner in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was replaced by Alec Neill
Alec Neill
Alexander George Neill is the former Chairman of the Canterbury Regional Council and a former New Zealand National Party politician. He was an Electorate Member of Parliament from 1990 to 1996, and a List Member for two terms in 1999, and from 2001 to 2002. He was born in Dunedin, and attended St...
, the next candidate on National's party list.
Attorney-General
As Attorney-General, Paul East advocated on important international issues including a case brought before the International Court of JusticeInternational Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
in 1995 on behalf of New Zealand against France's nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean. East also headed the development of an advisory opinion to the UN General Assembly on the legality of Nuclear Testing in 1995. East was awarded the status of Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(QC) while Attorney-General.