Simon Bridges
Encyclopedia
Simon Bridges is a New Zealand politician and former District
and High Court
Crown prosecutor. Bridges is currently the representative for the electorate of Tauranga
in the 49th New Zealand Parliament
, as a member of the National Party
.
Bridges currently lives in Mount Maunganui
with his wife, Natalie.
descent, was a Baptist Minister, and his mother, a NZ European from Waihi, was a primary school teacher. He is also related to former Labour Cabinet
minister Koro Wetere
.
Bridges grew up in Te Atatu
, where he attended high school at Rutherford College
. There, he was taught by future Labour Education Minister Chris Carter
, and also became Head Boy of the college. He went on to complete a BA in political science and history and an LLB (Hons) at the University of Auckland
.
in 2001 to take up a position as a Crown prosecutor in the District and High Courts. During this time, he took leave to travel to the United Kingdom to study at the London School of Economics
, and later to complete a postgraduate law degree at St Catherine's College, Oxford
; he also worked as an intern in the British House of Commons. As a Crown prosecutor in Tauranga, Bridges mainly worked on jury trials. Bridges ended his legal career in 2008, when he was nominated by the National Party to stand for election to the New Zealand Parliament.
at the age of 16 and was elected Deputy New Zealand Chair in 1997. He was active in National's West Auckland organisation as a member of Brian Neeson
's electorate team, whom he supported at the 2002 general election
against a challenge by John Key
for the National Party candidacy to contest the new seat of Helensville
. In the following years, he held several senior positions within the party, including sitting on the National Party rules committee and chairperson of the Tauranga National Party.
For the 2008 general election, the seat of Tauranga was contested by 11 candidates, including New Zealand First
leader Winston Peters
. In the election, Bridges won the electorate vote with a majority of 11,742 votes, which saw him become the new MP for the seat of Tauranga, and barred New Zealand First from winning any parliamentary seats, as it did not meet the 5% party vote threshold either. Bridges began his parliamentary career when the new Parliament convened on 8 December 2008.
, particularly Agriculture Minister David Carter
, adopted the bill.
District Courts of New Zealand
The District Courts of New Zealand are low-level trial courts in New Zealand. The District Courts can hear civil claims up to $200,000 and criminal cases involving relatively minor offences...
and High Court
High Court of New Zealand
The High Court of New Zealand is a superior court of New Zealand. It was established in 1841 and known as the Supreme Court of New Zealand until 1980....
Crown prosecutor. Bridges is currently the representative for the electorate of Tauranga
Tauranga (New Zealand electorate)
Tauranga is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Tauranga is Simon Bridges of the National Party, who won the seat in the 2008 New Zealand general election, after the previous MP, Bob Clarkson of...
in the 49th New Zealand Parliament
49th New Zealand Parliament
The 49th New Zealand Parliament was elected at the 2008 election. It consists of 122 members, including an overhang of two seats caused by the Māori Party having won two more electorate seats than its share of the party vote would otherwise have given it. The Parliament will serve from 2008 until...
, as a member of the 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:...
.
Bridges currently lives in Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui is a town in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, located on a peninsula to the north of Tauranga. It was independent from Tauranga until the completion of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge in 1988....
with his wife, Natalie.
Early life
Simon Bridges was born in October 1976 in Auckland, the youngest of six children. His father, a Māori of Ngāti ManiapotoNgati Maniapoto
Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa back to people who arrived in New Zealand on the waka Tainui...
descent, was a Baptist Minister, and his mother, a NZ European from Waihi, was a primary school teacher. He is also related to former Labour Cabinet
Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand
The Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990. It enacted major social and economic reforms, including reformation of the tax system. The economic reforms were known as Rogernomics after Finance Minister Roger Douglas...
minister Koro Wetere
Koro Wetere
Koro Tainui Wētere, CBE is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1969 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. He served as Minister of Māori Affairs in the Fourth Labour Government .-Member of Parliament:...
.
Bridges grew up in Te Atatu
Te Atatu
Te Atatu is the name of two suburbs in western Auckland, New Zealand: Te Atatu Peninsula and Te Atatu South. They are located next to each other some 10 kilometres to the west of the Auckland city centre....
, where he attended high school at Rutherford College
Rutherford College, Auckland
Rutherford College is a co-educational state secondary school on the Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland, New Zealand.- About :Rutherford College is a New Zealand Qualifications Authority accredited co-educational Year 9-13 State Secondary school, established in 1961. Named after the New Zealand-born...
. There, he was taught by future Labour Education Minister Chris Carter
Chris Carter (politician)
Christopher Joseph Carter was an independent Member of Parliament in New Zealand, and a former member of the New Zealand Labour Party until his expulsion. Carter was a senior Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand, serving lastly as Minister of Education, Minister...
, and also became Head Boy of the college. He went on to complete a BA in political science and history and an LLB (Hons) at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
.
Legal career
Bridges began his legal career as a litigation lawyer at a major Auckland law firm, Kensington Swan. He moved to TaurangaTauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
in 2001 to take up a position as a Crown prosecutor in the District and High Courts. During this time, he took leave to travel to the United Kingdom to study at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and later to complete a postgraduate law degree at St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
; he also worked as an intern in the British House of Commons. As a Crown prosecutor in Tauranga, Bridges mainly worked on jury trials. Bridges ended his legal career in 2008, when he was nominated by the National Party to stand for election to the New Zealand Parliament.
Early political career
Bridges became a member of the Young NationalsNew Zealand Young Nationals
The New Zealand Young Nationals are the youth wing of the New Zealand National Party a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is a member of the International Young Democrat Union.-History:...
at the age of 16 and was elected Deputy New Zealand Chair in 1997. He was active in National's West Auckland organisation as a member of Brian Neeson
Brian Neeson
Brian Kevin Neeson is a New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1990 to 2002, representing the National Party, and a member of the Waitemata District Health Board from 2004 - 2010.-Early life:...
's electorate team, whom he supported at the 2002 general election
New Zealand general election, 2002
The 2002 New Zealand general election was held on 27 July 2002 to determine the composition of the 47th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the reelection of Helen Clark's Labour Party government, as well as the worst-ever performance by the opposition National Party.Arguably the most controversial...
against a challenge by 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....
for the National Party candidacy to contest the new seat of Helensville
Helensville (New Zealand electorate)
Helensville is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Helensville is John Key, leader of the National Party and Prime Minister of New Zealand. He has held this electorate since 2002...
. In the following years, he held several senior positions within the party, including sitting on the National Party rules committee and chairperson of the Tauranga National Party.
Member of Parliament
In 2008, Bridges stepped down from his positions within the National Party to seek his party's candidacy for the seat of Tauranga in the 2008 election, after incumbent Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson (National) announced that he would not be standing for re-election. Bridges was successful in his campaign, appointed in June 2008 as the National Party candidate for the seat; he was eventually listed as #51 on the National's party list. Several polls during the campaign indicated that Bridges would win the seat by a large margin.For the 2008 general election, the seat of Tauranga was contested by 11 candidates, including 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...
leader 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...
. In the election, Bridges won the electorate vote with a majority of 11,742 votes, which saw him become the new MP for the seat of Tauranga, and barred New Zealand First from winning any parliamentary seats, as it did not meet the 5% party vote threshold either. Bridges began his parliamentary career when the new Parliament convened on 8 December 2008.
Animal cruelty
In early 2010, Bridges's Animal Welfare Amendment Bill was drawn from the ballot. After passing its first reading, the governmentFifth 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...
, particularly Agriculture Minister David Carter
David Carter (politician)
David Cunningham Carter is a New Zealand politician, currently a government cabinet minister. He is a member of the National Party.-Early life:...
, adopted the bill.
External links
- Simon Bridges MP official site
- Profile at National party
- Decision08 Q&A interview with Simon Bridges: Political opinions