Chris Laidlaw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chairperson of the Wellington Regional Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 30 June 2015 –13 October 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Fran Wilde | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Daran Ponter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wellington Central | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 12 December 1992 –6 November 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Fran Wilde | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | seat abolished | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Dunedin,New Zealand | 16 November 1943||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relations | Sue Kedgley (sister-in-law) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | University of Otago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 78 kg (172 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | King's High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Christopher Robert Laidlaw (born 16 November 1943) is a New Zealand politician and former rugby union player,Rhodes Scholar,public servant,diplomat and radio host.
Laidlaw was born in Dunedin and schooled at King's High School from 1957 to 1961,where he played in the first rugby team. [1]
Laidlaw attended Otago University from 1962 to 1966,and completed a master's degree in 1968, [2] after which he went overseas with the All Blacks. In 1969 he took up his Rhodes Scholarship at Merton College,Oxford.
Described as a rugby prodigy,Laidlaw was immediately selected for the University A side in 1962 upon leaving school. Such was the impact of his play that during the same year he played for an Otago representative side,for a South Island regional side,and for New Zealand Universities. Personal training sessions with former All Black Charlie Saxton endowed Laidlaw with "a marvellous pass and an accurate kick from forward base". [1]
Not yet 20,Laidlaw made his debut for the All Blacks in 1963 on their tour of Britain and France. Although chosen as reserve to the incumbent half-back and vice-captain,Kevin Briscoe,Laidlaw's performances catapulted him into selection for a test against France and a match against the Barbarians. [1]
In all,Laidlaw played 57 matches for the All Blacks,including 20 internationals. He captained the team on three occasions:a test against Australia in 1969 and games against Victoria and South-West Africa in 1969 and 1970,respectively.
In 1972 Laidlaw joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as Assistant to Commonwealth Secretary-General Sonny Ramphal who he described in 1999 as "far and away the most brilliant man I have ever met." [3]
In 1977 during a diplomatic cocktail party in New York Laidlaw says the then NZ Prime Minister Robert Muldoon drunkenly harassed him,jabbing his finger in Laidlaw's chest. Muldoon was angry about Laidlaw's public comments criticising apartheid. Laidlaw says he grabbed Muldoon by the lapels and propelled him against the wall saying something like "If you ever touch me again I'll knock your teeth out." Muldoon glared at him,turned on his heel and walked out. [4]
In 1986,Laidlaw became New Zealand's first resident High Commissioner to Harare,representing New Zealand's interests throughout Africa. In 1989,Laidlaw was appointed Race Relations Conciliator.
Years | Term | Electorate | Party | ||
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1992 –1993 | 43rd | Wellington Central | Labour |
Laidlaw won the Wellington Central by-election in 1992,following the election of Fran Wilde to the Wellington mayoralty. Labour leader Mike Moore designated Laidlaw Labour's spokesman for Tourism,Disarmament and Ethnic Affairs. [5] He failed to win re-election (to the renamed Wellington-Karori electorate) in the 1993 general election,losing to National's Pauline Gardiner.
Laidlaw is a supporter of a New Zealand republic. In 1997 he published remarks allegedly made to him by Prince Charles during his visit of that year,which appeared to show the Prince implicitly supports a New Zealand republic. Laidlaw later published the claim in his book Rights of Passage,and again in his The New Zealand Herald column in March 2005,during Prince Charles' visit. No comment was made by the Prince as to the veracity of the comments. [6]
Laidlaw was a councillor and chair of the Wellington Regional Council and represented the Wellington constituency. He was elected at the 2007 local elections with 24,757 votes,the greatest number of votes for any candidate that year. [7] He was re-elected in 2010 with 24,838 votes, [8] in 2013 and in 2016. He succeeded Fran Wilde as chair of the Regional Council in 2015 and was re-elected as chair in 2016. [9] Laidlaw came under significant pressure over changes made to the Wellington bus network in July 2018. When he stated to a parliamentary select committee that "there was essentially nothing they would do differently if they could do the bus overhaul again",the packed audience responded with loud laughter. [10] The media subsequently adopted the term "bustastrophe" for the situation. [11] [12] [13] [14]
In July 2019 Laidlaw announced that he would not be standing for re-election to the Wellington Regional Council in the October 2019 local elections. [15] Following the 2019 election Laidlaw was succeeded as chair by Daran Ponter of the Labour Party. [16]
Laidlaw hosted Radio New Zealand National's Sunday Morning programme from 2000 to 2013. [17]
Laidlaw is married to prominent New Zealand art curator Helen Kedgley,and is a brother-in-law of former Green MP Sue Kedgley. He has two children and three grandchildren.[ citation needed ]
The 1981 South African rugby tour polarised opinions and inspired widespread protests across New Zealand. The controversy also extended to the United States,where the South African rugby team continued their tour after departing New Zealand.
Derek Francis Quigley is a New Zealand former politician. He was a prominent member of the National Party during the late 1970s and early 1980s,and was known for his support of free-market economics and trade liberalisation. Quigley left the National Party after clashing with its leadership,and later co-founded the ACT New Zealand party.
David Henry Benson-Pope is a New Zealand politician. He is a former Member of Parliament for Dunedin South and has been a member of the Dunedin City Council since 2013.
Paul Desmond Swain is a former New Zealand politician. He was a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1990 until 2008,representing the Labour Party. From 2010 to 2019,he was a councillor on the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Susan Jane Kedgley is a New Zealand politician,food campaigner and author. Before entering politics Kedgley worked for the United Nations in New York for 8 years and for a decade as a television reporter,director and producer in New Zealand.
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David Edward Kirk is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He is best known for having been the captain of the All Blacks when they won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.
The following lists events that happened during 1943 in New Zealand.
Dame Frances Helen Wilde is a New Zealand politician,and former Wellington Labour member of parliament,Minister of Tourism and Mayor of Wellington. She was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Wellington. She was chairperson of the Greater Wellington Regional Council from 2007 until 2015,and since 2019 she has chaired the board of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
Wellington Regional Council,branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council,is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for public transport under the brand Metlink,environmental and flood protection,and the region's water supply. As of 2023,it is the majority owner of CentrePort Wellington with a 77% shareholding.
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The Tamaki by-election 1992 was a by-election held in the Tāmaki electorate during the 43rd New Zealand Parliament,on 15 February 1992. It was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Sir Robert Muldoon and was won by Clem Simich with a majority of 1,252. The by-election was also notable as the first contested by the recently formed Alliance Party,and for their success in coming second ahead of the Labour Party.
The 1992 Wellington Central by-election was a by-election held in the Wellington Central electorate during the 43rd New Zealand Parliament,on 12 December 1992. It was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Fran Wilde after her election as mayor of Wellington and was won by Chris Laidlaw with a majority of 855.
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The following lists events that happened during 2019 in New Zealand.
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