Ross Meurant
Encyclopedia
Alan Ross Meurant is a New Zealand
public figure who has at various times gained public attention as a police officer, a businessman, a politician, and a political lobbyist.
between 1966 and 1987. In 1975 he was promoted to Sergeant at Takapuna on the North Shore, married Patricia and purchased a home. He had his first pangs to be a Member of Parliament, and as he decided he needed more education to enter political life he enrolled for a BA degree intending to major in political studies. After 2½ years he went back to Auckland Central as Senior Sergeant. He spent eight years at the University of Auckland, finishing a BA in 1982, and starting a law degree, though he then left to pursue business interests in his last years in the police.
He was a detective in the CIB
between 1970 and 1975 and a member of the paramilitary Armed Offenders Unit
. During the controversial 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand, he was second-in-command of the riot group Red Squad. He subsequently wrote a book about the experience of Red Squad: The Red Squad Story. The book was a bestseller in both New Zealand and South Africa.
When Meurant was transferred to night shift work in 1982 after (he says) offending some senior officers he had criticized in his book The Red Squad Story, he studied at night to complete his BA degree and start a law degree. He also started dabbling in business opportunities by running a private security firm from the watchhouse, with his wife as principal partner, and employing up to 70 people. After being commissioned in 1985, he served in various roles including Inspector in charge of the Auckland police criminal intelligence. In 1989 he published an autobiography: The Beat to the Beehive.
candidate for Hobson
in the 1987 elections
. He was successful and went on to serve 3 parliamentary terms. In 1996, his electorate was abolished when the introduction of the MMP proportional voting
replaced the FPTP system. Faced with being a list MP, Meurant chose instead to form a new political party and had the distinction of being the first person to register a political party under the new regime.
. This party was based on Meurant's right-wing economic philosophy: selling government assets and reducing government involvement in business. On 7 September 1994, Meurant entered into a formal agreement with Prime Minister Jim Bolger
, thereby consummating the first coalition under MMP. At that time, Meurant was a member of the executive: the Undersecretary of Agriculture and Forestry. After forming his own party, Meurant retained his executive office and continued to be a member of the Cabinet Committees for Commerce, Industry and Environment and Treaty Issues. Support of government on confidence and supply was central to Meurant's continuation as a member of The Executive.
In August 1995, Meurant refused to comply with a directive from the Prime Minister to relinquish a position that he had as a director of a Russian-owned bank (PROK) domiciled in Vanuatu and was subsequently dismissed from the Executive. Meurant nevertheless continued as a coalition partner of the government as his support at the time was critical to its survival.
Contrary to the public perception of him being conservative, he voted while an MP for gay rights and abortion on demand and against hanging. He completed a Master of Public Policy at Victoria University of Wellington
during his third term in parliament. In in an autobiography published while he was an MP, he wrote while describing his 1970s period in the Auckland drug squad under Bruce Hutton:
Between 1999 and 2004 Meurant was engaged by parliamentary services as a part time adviser on agriculture, forestry, fishing and racing taxation policy to Winston Peters
, leader of New Zealand First
. During this period Meurant was a shareholding director of Digital Global Maps Limited, in which the principal shareholder was Vela Fishing. He also co-owned a thoroughbred horse agistment facility.
In 2002, Meurant was convicted of common assault and inconsiderate driving following an altercation with a truck driver on the Desert Road.
His business relationship with Philip Vela (Vela Fishing) as a director of Digital Global Maps Ltd and as a consultant to Peter Simunovich (Simunovich Fishing) ensured a high public profile. By the early 21st century, he was catapulted into national headlines during the" Scampi scandal" (2003–2009), which included allegations ranging from misreporting of fish catch totals by fishing companies as a mechanism to qualify for bigger allocations of privatised fish assets to allegations of large sums of money being directed from fishing magnates to Winston Peters
by Meurant. In 2003 the Primary Industries Select Committee conducted an enquiry into allegations of impropriety involving the principals of Simunovich Fisheries Ltd, Winston Peters and Meurant. After an extensive investigation the allegations were rejected as unfounded and untrue. Contemporaneously, defamation proceedings against TVNZ and the New Zealand Herald were commenced. In December 2009 the defendants capitulated and apologised. During the 2008 general election
Meurant was linked to large donations allegedly transferred from Vela Fishing and other magnates to New Zealand First
- the political Party lead by Winston Peters, a former National Party colleague of Meurant (and former school chum).
Meurant currently resides in Eastern Europe. He is a partner in aqua culture business ventures in U.A.E. Syria and Morocco with Peter Simunovich and with a former senior Ministry Fisheries director.
In 2011, Meurant was interviewed in the documentary Operation 8, which was strongly critical of the anti-terror raids in Ruatoki in 2007
. In it, he described what was, in his view, the negative aspects of police culture and the actions associated with it.
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...
public figure who has at various times gained public attention as a police officer, a businessman, a politician, and a political lobbyist.
Police
Meurant served in the New Zealand PoliceNew Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
between 1966 and 1987. In 1975 he was promoted to Sergeant at Takapuna on the North Shore, married Patricia and purchased a home. He had his first pangs to be a Member of Parliament, and as he decided he needed more education to enter political life he enrolled for a BA degree intending to major in political studies. After 2½ years he went back to Auckland Central as Senior Sergeant. He spent eight years at the University of Auckland, finishing a BA in 1982, and starting a law degree, though he then left to pursue business interests in his last years in the police.
He was a detective in the CIB
Criminal Investigation Branch
The Criminal Investigation Branch is one of the main branches of the New Zealand Police and it is dedicated to investigating and solving serious crime, and targeting organized crime and recidivist criminals. The CIB has existed since the civil Police Force was formed in 1886 by the Police Force...
between 1970 and 1975 and a member of the paramilitary Armed Offenders Unit
Armed Offenders Squad
The Armed Offenders Squad is a specialist unit of the New Zealand Police designed to "cordon, contain and appeal to" armed and dangerous offenders. As the name explains, they are called upon when conflict with an armed offender has occurred or is considered imminent.The AOS draw upon a varied...
. During the controversial 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand, he was second-in-command of the riot group Red Squad. He subsequently wrote a book about the experience of Red Squad: The Red Squad Story. The book was a bestseller in both New Zealand and South Africa.
When Meurant was transferred to night shift work in 1982 after (he says) offending some senior officers he had criticized in his book The Red Squad Story, he studied at night to complete his BA degree and start a law degree. He also started dabbling in business opportunities by running a private security firm from the watchhouse, with his wife as principal partner, and employing up to 70 people. After being commissioned in 1985, he served in various roles including Inspector in charge of the Auckland police criminal intelligence. In 1989 he published an autobiography: The Beat to the Beehive.
Member of Parliament
Meurant stood as the National PartyNew 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:...
candidate for Hobson
Hobson (New Zealand electorate)
-Population Centres:The electorate is in the Northland Region, and includes the following population centres:-History:The Hobson electorate existed from 1946 , to 1978 when the name reverted back to Bay of Islands...
in the 1987 elections
New Zealand general election, 1987
The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 43rd sitting of the New Zealand Parliament. The governing New Zealand Labour Party, led by Prime Minister David Lange, was re-elected for a second term, although the Opposition National Party made gains...
. He was successful and went on to serve 3 parliamentary terms. In 1996, his electorate was abolished when the introduction of the MMP proportional voting
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
replaced the FPTP system. Faced with being a list MP, Meurant chose instead to form a new political party and had the distinction of being the first person to register a political party under the new regime.
Right of Centre / Conservatives
Meurant, upon leaving National, established a new party known as Right of CentreNew Zealand Conservative Party
The New Zealand Conservative Party was a short-lived political party in New Zealand. It was founded by a dissident National Party MP, Ross Meurant.-Foundation:...
. This party was based on Meurant's right-wing economic philosophy: selling government assets and reducing government involvement in business. On 7 September 1994, Meurant entered into a formal agreement with Prime Minister Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
, thereby consummating the first coalition under MMP. At that time, Meurant was a member of the executive: the Undersecretary of Agriculture and Forestry. After forming his own party, Meurant retained his executive office and continued to be a member of the Cabinet Committees for Commerce, Industry and Environment and Treaty Issues. Support of government on confidence and supply was central to Meurant's continuation as a member of The Executive.
In August 1995, Meurant refused to comply with a directive from the Prime Minister to relinquish a position that he had as a director of a Russian-owned bank (PROK) domiciled in Vanuatu and was subsequently dismissed from the Executive. Meurant nevertheless continued as a coalition partner of the government as his support at the time was critical to its survival.
Contrary to the public perception of him being conservative, he voted while an MP for gay rights and abortion on demand and against hanging. He completed a Master of Public Policy at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
during his third term in parliament. In in an autobiography published while he was an MP, he wrote while describing his 1970s period in the Auckland drug squad under Bruce Hutton:
- Perhaps we may liken drug prohibition to the era of liquor prohibition in America .... which created an underworld whose legacy lingers today. .... If drug use was legal in this country would there be any significant increase in drug use? I think not. .... Perhaps 50 percent of all crime in New Zealand is drug related. .... Think of the police resources we would save if we didn’t have to contend with all this drug-related crime. If it was legal to obtain and use drugs in this country, perhaps we could spend the money saved in policing expenditure, running educative programmes and medical clinics to assist those who lack the strength to resist temptation. If drugs such as cannabis and heroin were available through government dispensing stores, perhaps the black market trade which stimulates all this drug-relate trade would recede. I do not advocate the legalisation of drugs.
After leaving parliament
After leaving Parliament, Meurant was elected onto the Rodney District Council in 1998. However, his time with the Rodney District Council was short-lived: the entire council was dissolved by the Minister of Local Government after an acrimonious relationship between the general manager and Meurant culminated in a split within the council.Between 1999 and 2004 Meurant was engaged by parliamentary services as a part time adviser on agriculture, forestry, fishing and racing taxation policy to Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
, leader of New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
. During this period Meurant was a shareholding director of Digital Global Maps Limited, in which the principal shareholder was Vela Fishing. He also co-owned a thoroughbred horse agistment facility.
In 2002, Meurant was convicted of common assault and inconsiderate driving following an altercation with a truck driver on the Desert Road.
His business relationship with Philip Vela (Vela Fishing) as a director of Digital Global Maps Ltd and as a consultant to Peter Simunovich (Simunovich Fishing) ensured a high public profile. By the early 21st century, he was catapulted into national headlines during the" Scampi scandal" (2003–2009), which included allegations ranging from misreporting of fish catch totals by fishing companies as a mechanism to qualify for bigger allocations of privatised fish assets to allegations of large sums of money being directed from fishing magnates to Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
by Meurant. In 2003 the Primary Industries Select Committee conducted an enquiry into allegations of impropriety involving the principals of Simunovich Fisheries Ltd, Winston Peters and Meurant. After an extensive investigation the allegations were rejected as unfounded and untrue. Contemporaneously, defamation proceedings against TVNZ and the New Zealand Herald were commenced. In December 2009 the defendants capitulated and apologised. During 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...
Meurant was linked to large donations allegedly transferred from Vela Fishing and other magnates to New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
- the political Party lead by Winston Peters, a former National Party colleague of Meurant (and former school chum).
Meurant currently resides in Eastern Europe. He is a partner in aqua culture business ventures in U.A.E. Syria and Morocco with Peter Simunovich and with a former senior Ministry Fisheries director.
In 2011, Meurant was interviewed in the documentary Operation 8, which was strongly critical of the anti-terror raids in Ruatoki in 2007
2007 New Zealand anti-terror raids
The 2007 New Zealand anti-terror raids were a series of armed police raids conducted on Monday, 15 October 2007, in response to the discovery of an alleged paramilitary training camp deep in the Urewera mountain range near the town of Ruatoki in the eastern Bay of Plenty...
. In it, he described what was, in his view, the negative aspects of police culture and the actions associated with it.