Katrina Shanks
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand
politician Katrina Shanks (born 12 May 1969) serves as a list member of Parliament
for the New Zealand National Party
Party. Shanks became a Member of Parliament on 7 February 2007, following the formal resignation of Don Brash
from Parliament.
She is the current Chairperson of the Social Services Select Committee.
in 1969, and attended St Matthews Collegiate for Girls in Masterton
and Dannevirke High School. Shanks graduated with a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University
.
Prior to entering politics, Katrina Shanks worked as a self-employed accountant. She had previously worked as a Project Accountant for the Westpac Banking Corporation, in retail client services for Newton Investment Management in the United Kingdom
, and as a Senior Auditor for Audit New Zealand.
Shanks has three children.
Shanks joined the New Zealand National Party
in 2001, as a member of the Karori branch and was a member of the party's executive committee for the Wellington Central
electorate until 2004, when she joined the Ohariu-Belmont branch.
Shanks contested for the National party nomination as their candidate for the Ohariu-Belmont
electorate at the 2005 general election
in 2004. She was one of two final challengers, along with Simon Wright
. Shanks was eventually confirmed by National Party Ohariu-Belmont Electorate Chairman Tony Heyward.
Shanks was placed 46th on the National party's list for the 2005 election.
In the electorate vote, she placed third behind the incumbent MP, United Future leader Peter Dunne
and Labour's
Charles Chauvel
, with Shanks gaining 7,329 votes, a gain of over 2% from the 2002 result for National candidate Dale Stevens. However, National's party vote within the electorate increased by nearly 19% and exceeded that of Labour (although they had also improved slightly on their 2002 result).
The initial results for the election on 17 September 2005 (election night) would have seen Shanks elected as a list MP; however, the subsequent counting of special votes, and the reduction in the number of National Party list seats, meant that Shanks did not make it into Parliament. Her list position meant, however, that should any National list MP resign, Shanks would become the new National MP . This happened when former party leader Don Brash resigned on 7 February 2007.
Shanks became her party's Associate Spokeswoman for Commerce and Associate Spokeswoman for Economic Development, as well as a member of the Social Services Select Committee, which she held for the remainder of the 48th Parliament.
Shanks, along with Dunne and Chauvel, contested the same seat again in 2008, within the newly named Ōhariu
electorate (with modified boundaries from the former Ohariu-Belmont electorate). Shanks placed third again in the election, although National received 46.3% of the party vote in the electorate.
Shanks was again placed 46th on the party's list for the 2008 General Election
, and her party's result meant that she returned to Parliament. She was not offered a ministerial role as part of the new National Government
.
Shanks is currently the Chairperson of the Social Services Select Committee and a member of the Commerce Committee in the 49th Parliament.
The political publication Trans-Tasman has reviewed Shanks each year since 2007, as part of their annual review of Parliament (known as Roll Call). MPs are scored between one (lowest) and ten (highest) for their work during the year. According to the rankings, she improved slightly in 2008, but retained the same result in the following year, before returning in 2010 to the same score as in her first year:
Shanks has an office in Johnsonville
, Wellington
, which officially opened in September 2009 with Prime Minister John Key
in attendance.
In April 2011, Shanks delivered a speech praising the pending anti-file-sharing copyright bill known as "The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill". Opponents of the controversial bill quickly responded on Twitter
and created YouTube
parodies comparing Shanks' speech to a contestant's bumbling speech during the 2007 Miss Teen USA
beauty pageant. The bill, which aims to prevent Internet piracy, passed overwhelmingly with a 111 to 11 vote.
as a Social Credit
candidate.
At that time he had reached the same age (36) as Shanks when she stood for Parliament in 2005.
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 Katrina Shanks (born 12 May 1969) serves as a list member of Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
for the New Zealand 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:...
Party. Shanks became a Member of Parliament on 7 February 2007, following the formal resignation of Don Brash
Don Brash
Donald "Don" Thomas Brash , a New Zealand politician, was Leader of the Opposition, parliamentary leader of the National Party from 28 October 2003 to 27 November 2006 and the leader of the ACT Party for 28th April 2011 - 26 November 2011...
from Parliament.
She is the current Chairperson of the Social Services Select Committee.
Early years
Katrina Shanks was born in DannevirkeDannevirke
Dannevirke , is a rural service town in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is the major town of the administrative Tararua District, the easternmost of the districts in which the Regional Council has responsibilities...
in 1969, and attended St Matthews Collegiate for Girls in Masterton
Masterton
Masterton is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges...
and Dannevirke High School. Shanks graduated with a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
.
Prior to entering politics, Katrina Shanks worked as a self-employed accountant. She had previously worked as a Project Accountant for the Westpac Banking Corporation, in retail client services for Newton Investment Management in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and as a Senior Auditor for Audit New Zealand.
Shanks has three children.
Shanks joined the New Zealand 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:...
in 2001, as a member of the Karori branch and was a member of the party's executive committee for the Wellington Central
Wellington Central
rightWellington Central is a suburb of New Zealand's capital, Wellington, consisting of the flat, mostly reclaimed land, west of Lambton Harbour and the part of The Terrace immediately above it. It is bounded on the north by the suburb Pipitea and extends as far south as Civic Square...
electorate until 2004, when she joined the Ohariu-Belmont branch.
Member of Parliament
- See Ohariu-Belmont electorate results in the 2005 New Zealand General Election
Shanks contested for the National party nomination as their candidate for the Ohariu-Belmont
Ohariu-Belmont (New Zealand electorate)
Ohariu-Belmont was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1996 to 2008.-Population centres:The electorate covered the northern suburbs of the city of Wellington, i.e. Ngaio, Tawa, Khandallah and Johnsonville, and also the adjacent suburb of Belmont in the Western Hutt Valley.-History:The...
electorate at the 2005 general election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
in 2004. She was one of two final challengers, along with Simon Wright
Simon Wright
Simon Wright is an English drummer best known for his stints with rock n' roll bands AC/DC and Dio. He first started playing drums at the age of 13 and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and John Bonham as his greatest influences...
. Shanks was eventually confirmed by National Party Ohariu-Belmont Electorate Chairman Tony Heyward.
Shanks was placed 46th on the National party's list for the 2005 election.
In the electorate vote, she placed third behind the incumbent MP, United Future leader Peter Dunne
Peter Dunne
Peter Dunne is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament who leads the United Future political party. He has served as a Cabinet minister in governments dominated by the centre-left Labour Party as well as by the centre-right National Party...
and Labour's
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....
Charles Chauvel
Charles Chauvel (politician)
Charles Pierre Chauvel is a New Zealand lawyer and politician. Since 2006 he has been a Member of Parliament in the New Zealand House of Representatives. He is the first New Zealand MP of Tahitian ancestry...
, with Shanks gaining 7,329 votes, a gain of over 2% from the 2002 result for National candidate Dale Stevens. However, National's party vote within the electorate increased by nearly 19% and exceeded that of Labour (although they had also improved slightly on their 2002 result).
The initial results for the election on 17 September 2005 (election night) would have seen Shanks elected as a list MP; however, the subsequent counting of special votes, and the reduction in the number of National Party list seats, meant that Shanks did not make it into Parliament. Her list position meant, however, that should any National list MP resign, Shanks would become the new National MP . This happened when former party leader Don Brash resigned on 7 February 2007.
Shanks became her party's Associate Spokeswoman for Commerce and Associate Spokeswoman for Economic Development, as well as a member of the Social Services Select Committee, which she held for the remainder of the 48th Parliament.
- See Ōhariu electorate results in the 2008 New Zealand General Election
Shanks, along with Dunne and Chauvel, contested the same seat again in 2008, within the newly named Ōhariu
Ohariu
Ōhariu is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was contested for the first time at the 2008 election. It is the successor to Ohariu-Belmont, first contested at the first Mixed Member Proportional election in 1996...
electorate (with modified boundaries from the former Ohariu-Belmont electorate). Shanks placed third again in the election, although National received 46.3% of the party vote in the electorate.
Shanks was again placed 46th on the party's list for the 2008 General Election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, and her party's result meant that she returned to Parliament. She was not offered a ministerial role as part of the new National Government
Fifth National Government of New Zealand
The Fifth National Government of New Zealand is the current government of New Zealand. It is led by Prime Minister John Key.After the 2008 general election the National Party and its allies were able to form a government, taking over from Helen Clark's Fifth Labour Government. The National party...
.
Shanks is currently the Chairperson of the Social Services Select Committee and a member of the Commerce Committee in the 49th Parliament.
The political publication Trans-Tasman has reviewed Shanks each year since 2007, as part of their annual review of Parliament (known as Roll Call). MPs are scored between one (lowest) and ten (highest) for their work during the year. According to the rankings, she improved slightly in 2008, but retained the same result in the following year, before returning in 2010 to the same score as in her first year:
| Year | Score | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 3/10 | List MP who replaced Don Brash. She’s made a reasonable start with Associate portfolios. Seems keen. |
| 2008 | 3.5/10 | Tries hard but she’s got light hands. Didn't make much headway. |
| 2009 | 3.5/10 | Really needs to start being noticed. Diligent but doesn't show much enthusiasm. |
| 2010 | 3/10 | Another one on the road to obscurity. She showed early promise but hasn’t lived up to it. Must do more than ask patsy questions and make the occasional forgettable speech. |
Shanks has an office in Johnsonville
Johnsonville, New Zealand
Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua . The population of "J'ville" was about 6,500 at the 2001 census.- Public transport :Johnsonville is a reasonably...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, which officially opened in September 2009 with Prime Minister John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
in attendance.
In April 2011, Shanks delivered a speech praising the pending anti-file-sharing copyright bill known as "The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill". Opponents of the controversial bill quickly responded on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and created YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
parodies comparing Shanks' speech to a contestant's bumbling speech during the 2007 Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
beauty pageant. The bill, which aims to prevent Internet piracy, passed overwhelmingly with a 111 to 11 vote.
Trivia
Shanks' father, Graeme Hislop, once stood against National Prime Minister Keith HolyoakeKeith Holyoake
Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO, KStJ was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party Prime Minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7...
as a Social Credit
Social Credit Party (New Zealand)
The New Zealand Social Credit Party was a political party which served as the country's "third party" from the 1950s through into the 1980s. The party held a number of seats in the New Zealand Parliament, although never more than two at a time...
candidate.
At that time he had reached the same age (36) as Shanks when she stood for Parliament in 2005.