Gareth Hughes (politician)
Gareth Hughes | |
---|---|
party list | |
In office 12 February 2010 – 17 October 2020 | |
Preceded by | Jeanette Fitzsimons[n 1] |
Personal details | |
Born | Gisborne, New Zealand | 31 October 1981
Political party | Green (formerly) |
Spouse | Meghan Hughes |
Children | Two |
Gareth Thomas Llewelyn Hughes
Early life
Hughes grew up in Gisborne.[5] After attending Gisborne Boys' High School,[6] he studied religious studies, history and politics at Victoria University of Wellington.[7] He became a vegetarian while a student.[8] He worked for Greenpeace in Australia and New Zealand from 2000 to 2005, and then worked for the Green Party on climate change issues. He is married with two children.[9]
In May 2004, Hughes was arrested after dressing as
Member of Parliament
Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010–2011 | 49th | List | 11 | Green | |
2011–2014 | 50th | List | 7 | Green | |
2014–2017 | 51st | List | 5 | Green | |
2017–2020 | 52nd | List | 5 | Green |
Hughes contested the
In his maiden speech on 24 February 2010, Hughes declared his support for a New Zealand republic.[15][16] In his first term, Hughes was the Green Party's spokesperson on housing, ICT, libraries and archives, tertiary education, GE, food, oceans,[17] transport,[18] and youth.[7]
In the 2011 general election he stood in the Ōhariu electorate again and was ranked seventh on the Green party list, and was re-elected as a list MP. In the 2014 general election he stood only on the party list, ranked fifth, and was elected for a third time. During this term of Parliament, the male co-leader of the Party, Russel Norman, resigned and Hughes stood for the vacant co-leadership role as the self-described "underdog."[19] The contest was won by first-term MP James Shaw.[20]
Hughes, along with the rest of the Green Party, voted in support of Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013, allowing same-sex couples to legally marry in New Zealand.[21]
In November 2016, it was announced that Hughes would be running for the East Coast electorate against National Party MP Anne Tolley. This electorate is the one he was raised in.[22] He was returned to Parliament as the Greens' fifth-ranked and longest serving list MP.[2] When the Greens agreed to support a Labour–New Zealand First coalition Government, Hughes was not appointed to a ministerial position and instead continued as the party musterer (whip).[23] In 2019, he announced his intention to retire at the next general election.[4] Ahead of his retirement, and for family reasons, he relocated himself to be the Green Party's member of Parliament based in Dunedin.[24]
After Parliament
Hughes was elected Chair of the Board of Directors of SAFE in 2021.[25] He is the New Zealand lead for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and no longer a member of the Green Party.[26] Hughes wrote A Gentle Radical, a biography of Fitzsimons published in 2022.[27]
Notes
- ^ Normally, list MPs do not have individual predecessors or successors, but Fitzsimons resigned during a sitting parliament and therefore was succeeded by Hughes.
References
- ^ Speaker of the House, Dr Lockwood Smith (16 February 2010). "List Member Vacancy". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Longest-serving Greens MP Gareth Hughes plans to 'reconnect with activist roots' after retirement". TVNZ. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Fitzsimons steps down as MP – effective immediately". The New Zealand Herald. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Gareth Hughes to stand down at next election". RNZ. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ a b Menkes, Emily (5 March 2010). "Introducing NZ's youngest MP". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Gareth Hughes – List member, Green Party". Current MPs. New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ a b c "Gareth Hughes". Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- Stuff.co.nz, 28 January 2010
- ^ "Election08 Green Party Candidates". Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. www.greens.org.nz. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
- ^ Television New Zealand. NZPA. 28 January 2010. Archived from the originalon 27 March 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- Stuff.co.nz. NZPA. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "New list MP for Green Party". Chief Electoral Office. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ Wood, Jackson (11 August 2008). "Politics: Gareth Hughes Interview". Salient. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Journals of the House for the week beginning Tuesday, 16 February 2010". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ "Gareth Hughes: Maiden Speech". voxy.co.nz. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ Gareth Hughes (25 February 2010). "Gareth Hughes Maiden Speech" (Press release). Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Bethune needs report for his defence, Greens say". Guide2.co.nz. NZPA. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- Television New Zealand. NZPA. 18 May 2010. Archived from the originalon 8 October 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Gareth Hughes 'underdog' for Green Party leadership". Stuff. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ Ashton, Andrew (22 November 2016). "Hughes gets Greens light to take on Tolley". The Gisborne Herald.
- ^ "Green Party announces ministers". RNZ. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ Houlahan, Mike (17 March 2020). "Veteran Greens MP Hughes happy to represent Dunedin". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Gareth Hughes Becomes Chair Of SAFE's Board Of Directors" (Press release). SAFE. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ Manhire, Toby (15 June 2022). "'50 years on they still haven't been around the cabinet table': Gareth Hughes on the Greens and Jeanette Fitzsimons". The Spinoff. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ Walker, Holly (5 June 2022). "Book review: A Gentle Radical, by Gareth Hughes". Stuff. Retrieved 12 September 2022.