Current parliamentary roles

• Member, Finance and Expenditure Committee
• Spokesperson, Finance

Former parliamentary roles

• Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministers of Finance and Commerce
• Chairperson, Commerce select committee 1999-2002
• Member, Finance and expenditure select committee 1999-2002
• Member, Regulations review select committee 1999-2002
• Deputy Chairperson, Local government and environment select committee 2002-March 2003
• Member, Finance and expenditure select committee 2002-June 2003
• Member, Government administration select committee 26 march 2003-11 August 2005
• Minister of State 19 May 2003-21 December 2004
• Associate Minister of Communications 19 May 2003-21 December 2004
• Associate Minister of Finance 19 May 2003-19 October 2005
• Associate Minister for Information Technology 19 May 2003-21 December 2004
• Associate Minister of Revenue 19 May 2003-19 October 2005
• Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises 21 December 2004-19 October 2005
• Minister of Communications 21 December 2004-19 November 2008
• Minister for Information Technology 21 December 2004-19 November 2008
• Associate Minister for Economic Development 19 October 2005-5 November 2007
• Minister for Immigration 19 October 2005-5 November 2007
• Minister of Health 5 November 2007-19 November 2008

Personal details

Married with two sons

Education/qualifications

• Int Bacc, United World College of the Atlantic 1982-1982
• BA (Hons1), University of Otago 1986-1986
• Dip Soc Sci (Distinction) in Economics, Massey University 1993-1993
• MPA, Harvard University 1994-1995
• Fullbright Scholar, Harvard University
• Kennedy Memorial Fellow, Harvard University

Career

• Diplomat, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington 1987-1987
• Diplomat, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra 1988-1988
• Diplomat, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, South Pacific Aid 1989-1990
• Diplomat, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Washington DC 1991-1994
• Economist/Business Strategy Adviser, The Boston Consulting Group, Auckland 1995-1999
• Community Worker, Glen Eden 1999-1999

Community activities

• Amnesty International
• Auckland City Mission
• Wellington City Mission Budget Service
• Greenpeace
• Rotary
• Crew, RNLI Surf Lifeboat
• St Matthew’s Anglican Church
• Member, Waitakere Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, New Lynn
• Union Delegate, MFAT PSA 1987-1990
• Co-convenor, MFAT PSA 1989-1990

Party activities

• Chairperson, Auckland Central LEC 1997-1998
• Member, Auckland Regional Executive 1998-1998
• Member, NZ Labour Party Economic Policy Committee 1998-2000
• Member of Parliament, Titirangi electorate 1999-2002

Leisure activities

Sailing, gardening, the outdoors and spending time with family and friends