Richard James Gerard (born 1936) is a former New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 politician. He was a National Party

New Zealand National Party

The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

 member of parliament from 1984 to 1997.

Member of Parliament

Gerard was first elected to Parliament in the 1984 elections

New Zealand general election, 1984

The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating long-serving Prime Minister Robert Muldoon of the National Party. It was also the...

, replacing the retiring Derek Quigley

Derek Quigley

Derek Francis Quigley, QSO is a former New Zealand 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 liberalization...

 in the Rangiora

Rangiora (New Zealand electorate)

Rangiora is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, based on the town of Rangiora.-Population Centres:The electorate is based on the town of Rangiora and the surrounding rural area, and is north of Christchurch in North Canterbury.-History:...

 seat. He remained MP for Rangiora until the 1996 elections

New Zealand general election, 1996

The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...

, when the seat was abolished. Gerard was unsuccessful in his campaign for the new Waimakariri

Waimakariri (New Zealand electorate)

Waimakariri is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, formed in 1996 and returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Waimakariri is Clayton Cosgrove of the Labour Party. He has held this position since the 1999 election...

 seat, losing to former Labour Party

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

 leader Mike Moore. He remained in Parliament as a list MP.

In April 1997, he resigned from Parliament to become New Zealand's High Commissioner to Canada in Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

. He was replaced by the next candidate on National's party list, Annabel Young

Annabel Young

Annabel Young is a former New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1997 to 2002, representing the National Party. She entered Parliament on 22 April 1997, having been the next candidate on National's party list when list MP Jim Gerard resigned...

.

Waimakariri District

Gerard was elected Mayor of Waimakariri in 2001. He was re-elected in 2004, but lost the mayoralty to Ron Keating. In October 2010, he was elected councillor for Waimakariri.