Nicola Grigg
MP | |
---|---|
17th Minister for Women | |
Assumed office 27 November 2023 | |
Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
Preceded by | Jan Tinetti |
Minister of State for Trade | |
Assumed office 27 November 2023 | |
Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
Preceded by | Rino Tirikatene |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Selwyn | |
Assumed office 17 October 2020 | |
Preceded by | Amy Adams |
Majority | 17,050 |
Personal details | |
Born | 1979 or 1980 (age 43–44)[1] Mount Somers, New Zealand |
Political party | National |
Relations | Arthur Grigg (great-grandfather) Mary Grigg (great-grandmother)[2] John Cracroft Wilson (Third great-grandfather) |
Residence | Prebbleton |
Website | Official website |
Nicola Anna Grigg
Early life
Grigg was born and raised in
Grigg worked as a journalist for both Newstalk ZB and Radio New Zealand before shifting her career to politics. She worked for Bill English both during his tenure as finance minister and prime minister. She later worked for leader of the opposition Simon Bridges. She then left working at parliament and took up a position at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.[7]
Political career
Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020–2023 | 53rd | Selwyn | 60 | National | |
2023–present | 54th | Selwyn | 19 | National |
First (2020–2023)
Grigg was selected as the National Party candidate for the Selwyn electorate in November 2019 on the first ballot, ahead of two other nominees: Simon Flood and Craig Watson.[7]
In the 2020 general election, she was elected to the Selwyn seat with a final majority of 4,968 votes.[8] Following the election, Grigg served as National's spokesperson for women and, from August 2021, trade and export growth.[9][10]
On 19 January 2023, Grigg was also given the responsibility for Spokesperson for Rural Communities, Animal Welfare, Biosecurity, Food Safety and Associate Spokesperson for Agriculture. However, she lost the trade and expert growth portfolio.[11]
Second term (2023–present)
At the 2023 New Zealand general election, Grigg retained the Selwyn electorate, beating Labour's Luke Jones by a margin of 19,782[12]
On 27 November 2023, she was appointed by the Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro at Government House to be the Associate Minister of Agriculture, Minister of State for Trade, and Minister for Women in the National-led coalition government.[13]
Personal life
Grigg previously dated former All Black captain Richie McCaw.[7]
In October 2023, Grigg revealed at a National Party press conference in Rolleston that she was six-and-a-half months’ pregnant.[14]
Views and position
Grigg has supported the establishment of safe zones around abortion providers and hospitals. While voting for the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Act 2022 during its first reading in Parliament, Grigg argued that establishing abortion safe zones would reduce "harassment, hate speech, and intimidation" by anti-abortion protesters against vulnerable women.[9]
References
- ^ Young, Audrey (10 November 2019). "National picks former press secretary Nicola Grigg for safest seat in the country". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020.
- ^ Fonseka, Dileepa (24 December 2019). "The sure things: Nicola Grigg". Newsroom. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Speech – New Zealand Parliament".
- ^ "About Nicola". New Zealand National Party. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
- ^ "Nicola Grigg uses maiden speech to pay tribute to her great-grandmother, National's first female MP". Stuff. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ "Selwyn MP Nicola Grigg dedicates maiden speech to trailblazing great-grandmother". Otago Daily Times Online News. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Cooke, Henry (10 November 2019). "National puts former journalist Nicola Grigg forward for safest seat in NZ". Stuff. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Selwyn – Official Resultt". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ a b Small, Zane (12 March 2021). "How MPs voted on law change that would allow safe zones around abortion clinics". Newshub. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ "New National Portfolio Allocations Confirmed". Scoop. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Luxon Sets Out Team To Contest The 2023 Election". www.scoop.co.nz. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ "Selwyn - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "Cabinet lineup for new government unveiled - who gets what?". Radio New Zealand. 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "The Press". www.thepress.co.nz. Retrieved 15 October 2023.