Current parliamentary roles

• Minister of Education
• Minister of Pacific Island Affairs

Former parliamentary roles

• Member, Maori Affairs Committee 9 December 2008-24 June 2009
• Member, Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee 9 December 2008-31 August 2009
• Deputy-Chairperson, Social Services Committee 24 June 2009-9 February 2011
• Member, Social Services Committee 9 February 2011-13 April 2011
• Member, Justice and Electoral Committee 10 February 2010-13 April 2011
• Member, Electoral Legislation Committee 31 March 2010-20 October 2011
• Minister for Ethnic Affairs 08 December 2010-14 December 2011
• Minister of Women's Affairs 08 December 2010-14 December 2011
• Associate Minister for ACC 08 December 2010-14 December 2011
• Associate Minister of Energy and Resources 08 December 2010-14 December 2011
• Associate Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector 08 December 2010-14 December 2011

Personal details

Born in Ruatoria. Married with two daughters. Iwi Affiliations: Ngati Porou, Ngai Tahu

Education/qualifications

• MA, Waikato University
• Senior Executive Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1992
• Senior Executive Fellow, Templeton College, Oxford University, 2005

Career

• Partner, Gardiner and Parata Ltd
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Prime Minister's Advisory Group
• Ministry for the Environment
• Housing Corporation of New Zealand
• Te Puni Kokiri
• State Services Commission
• Institute of Policy Studies

Awards

Duke of Edinburgh Commonwealth Study Conference 1998

Community activities

• President, Waikato Student Union, 1980
• Trustee, National Portrait Gallery 2008-

Leisure activities

Reading, music, movies and netball. Has completed half marathon and a triathlon.