OCTOBER
WHIRINGA-A-NUKU 2023
MP awaits final decision on List or Electorate role by Ann Packer Chris Bishop is waiting for the final vote count on November 3 to confirm his return as Hutt South MP. At present, the results show he is ahead of incumbent Ginny Andersen by 1,094 votes; this is unlikely to change once Special Votes are tallied up. For now, Chris Bishop is simply enjoying being at home in Days Bay, walking dog Ladyhawke on the beach with wife Jenna Raeburn and toddler Jeremy, 15 months. A Moana Road resident since May of this year, the current National spokesperson for housing and infrastructure is ranked third in Christopher Luxon’s lineup. And with Nicola Willis confirmed as Finance Minister, there’s every chance his dreams of being Leader of the House and becoming a Minister by the age of 40 will both come true. The Leader of the House looks after the government’s legislative programme. An honours graduate in law with a BA in history and politics, he first set foot in parliament in 2000, as a member of the Youth Parliament under ACT MP Muriel Newman. During university holidays he clerked at Russell McVeagh and Crown Law, and temped at the Ministry of Education, writing letters for then-minister Trevor Mallard – which were signed off by Chris Hipkins, in what he calls “a nice symmetry”. Chris Bishop “learnt about politics” working as a ministerial advisor for Gerry Brownlee and Steven Joyce, among others. He also explored the darker side, as a tobacco lobbyist after working for Philip Morris as Corporate Affairs Manager – actively
opp o s i ng t h e National Party’s plans to increase excise and introduce plain packaging – but had to step back when he became a National candidate. Not a bad record for a lad who started off at 49th on the list when entering Parliament just under a decade ago. “I’ve b e en really lucky,” he admits. Currently a w a i t i n g Chris Bishop with wife Jenna Raeburn and son Jeremy. confirmation of his second term as MP for Hutt South, Mr Bishop has been the became the first National MP to win the Shadow Leader of the House twice since 2020, previously Labour stronghold of Hutt South, losing that position briefly when he fell out with which incorporates the former Pencarrow Judith Collins and again in January this year, electorate (abolished in 1996) and extends after a cabinet reshuffle. across the valley just north of Kelson. He has had a seesaw ride, with two terms on His Facebook page has a telling photo of the party list – the first after entering Parliament the “very hard” night in 2020, when Labour in 2014, when he came in second behind Trevor was returned to power with an overwhelming Mallard, and the second in 2020, when he lost to majority. But he says it was not only a very hard Ginny Andersen. He has also served one term loss but “very motivational too”. as an electorate MP. So what’s the difference between being a List It was in 2017, when Mr Mallard stood Continues Page 2 down to become Speaker, that Mr Bishop
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