Sandra Lee-Vercoe

Last updated

New Zealand Parliament
Sandra Lee-Vercoe
QSO
Sandra Lee 1990's.jpg
Lee in the 1990s
10th Minister of Local Government
In office
10 December 1999 15 August 2002
YearsTermElectorateListParty
1993 1996 44th Auckland Central Alliance
1996 1999 45th List2 Alliance
1999 2002 46th List2 Alliance

In 1991, Lee became president of Mana Motuhake. Shortly after this, Mana Motuhake agreed to become a founding member of the Alliance, a coalition of minor parties. At the 1992 Alliance party conference Lee was elected the co-leader of the party alongside Jeanette Fitzsimons. [3]

In the 1993 election, Lee became the first Māori woman to win a general seat [4] (James Carroll being the first man in 1893) when she successfully contested the Auckland Central electorate as an Alliance candidate, defeating the incumbent Richard Prebble. [5] Upon the retirement of Mana Motuhake founder Matiu Rata in 1994, Lee became Mana Motuhake's political leader. [6] In November 1994, when Jim Anderton stepped down as leader of the Alliance for personal reasons, Lee took his place but Lee persuaded Anderton to return to the leadership in May 1995. Lee lost her Auckland Central seat to Labour's Judith Tizard at the 1996 election. [7]

Cabinet member

When a Labour-Alliance coalition government was formed after the 1999 election, Lee became Minister of Local Government, Minister of Conservation, and Associate Minister of Māori Affairs. [7] She was ranked seventh in Cabinet. During her time as Minister of Conservation Lee was known as an outspoken opponent of commercial whaling. [8]

As Minister of Local Government, Lee oversaw significant reform including the development and passage of the Local Electoral Act 2001, and the development and introduction of the Local Government Act 2002 and Local Government (Rating) Act 2002. [9]

She lost the position as Mana Motuhake leader in 2001, after a leadership challenge by Willie Jackson. [10] Lee believed that personal matters pertaining to her, such as her relationship with Te Puni Kōkiri staffer Anaru Vercoe, were used to discredit her as leader of Mana Motuhake. [11] Commentators also noted there was an element of revenge by Jackson, as he had been demoted in the 1996 party list in order to make room for Alamein Kopu, who had been elevated in the party list upon Lee's persuasion. [12]

Retirement

By the end of her term in parliament, the Alliance began to divide between Jim Anderton's moderate faction (including Lee) that held most of the parliamentary power, and the strongly left-wing faction, represented by most rank-and-file members and party president Matt McCarten and four of the Alliance MPs (including Laila Harré). The latter accused Anderton (and by extension, Lee) of moving the Alliance too close to Labour and not being distinct enough. The Alliance had fallen below the 5% threshold in polls. By March 2002, tensions had gotten so bad that McCarten and Lee had a 'swearing match' at a meeting in the Alliance's Wellington premises. [13]

On 3 April 2002, both Anderton and Lee announced their refusal to stand under the Alliance banner at the 2002 election. [14] Anderton went on to form the Progressive Coalition while Harré led the Alliance into the election (which saw them knocked out of parliament), but Lee did not stand and retired from politics that year.

Lee-Vercoe has continued to be politically active by being a guest commentator on issues affecting Māori and New Zealand on Te Karere , Breakfast , Native Affairs and Radio Waatea. Her career as a parliamentarian was honoured and highlighted in the Matangireia documentary series, released in 2019, that documented former Māori politicians and their legacy.

Diplomat

Lee was High Commissioner to Niue, representing the New Zealand and UK governments, from 12 February 2003 to 3 October 2005. [15]

Board member

In September 2006 Lee was appointed to the board of Housing New Zealand. [16] In July 2007 she was appointed to the board of Te Papa Tongarewa. [17]

Political offices

Lee campaigning in central Auckland Sandra Lee in QE2 Square before elections.jpg
Lee campaigning in central Auckland

Personal life

At age 16, Lee married Mike Lee, giving birth to their elder daughter at age 17. They separated in 1992. [18] She has been married to Anaru Vercoe since 2002.

New Zealand journalist and television producer, Annabelle Lee-Mather, is Lee's daughter. [19]

List

  1. 1 2 "Sandra Lee: If you're Māori, you can't help growing up political – E-Tangata". E-Tangata. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. Bassett 2013, pp. 369.
  3. Laugesen, Ruth (16 November 1992). "Alliance gets three-way leadership". The Dominion . p. 2.
  4. "Māori MPs – Parliament's people | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  5. Fox, Karen (2011). Maori and Aboriginal Women in the Public Eye: Representing Difference, 1950–2000. ANU E Press. ISBN   9781921862625.
  6. Herbert, Patricia (21 March 1994). "Party leader calls it a day". The New Zealand Herald . p. 5.
  7. 1 2 Young, Audrey (24 August 2001). "Sandra Lee – bad news and proud of it". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  8. "Sandra Lee's speech to the International Whaling Commission". The New Zealand Herald . 25 July 2001. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  9. "New Local Government Bill a fresh approach to community empowerment". New Zealand Government. 19 December 2001. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  10. "Sandra Lee retires". The New Zealand Herald . 17 June 2002. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  11. "Lee's private life plays part in dumping". NZ Herald. 10 June 2001. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  12. Venter, Nick (11 June 2001). "Joy turns to humiliation for new Mana Motuhake leader". The Southland Times. p. 2.
  13. "When friend becomes foe – New Zealand News". NZ Herald. 12 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  14. "Anderton's News Conference On Alliance Split". Scoop News. 3 April 2002. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  15. "Niue MPs to hear departing NZ representative". Radio NZ. 22 September 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  16. "Changes to Housing New Zealand Corporation Board". New Zealand Government. 22 September 2006. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  17. "Lee and Love appointed to Te Papa Board". Scoop. 1 August 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  18. Hewitson, Michele (16 December 2005). "ARC chairman keeps the reindeer galloping". The New Zealand Herald . ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  19. "Annabelle Lee-Mather". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 8 September 2020.

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References

New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Auckland Central
1993–1996
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Local Government
1999–2002
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Conservation
1999–2002
Party political offices
New political party Deputy Leader of the Alliance
1992–1994

1995–2002
Served alongside: Jeanette Fitzsimons
Succeeded by
Preceded bySucceeded by
Preceded by Leader of Mana Motuhake
1994–2001
Preceded by Leader of the Alliance
1994–1995
Succeeded by