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'''Simon James Power''', [[Queen's Service Order|QSO]] (born 5 December 1969) is a former New Zealand politician. He was a member of the [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]] and became Minister of Justice in the 2008-2011 National-led Government. He had previously served as the National Party's [[whip (politics)|chief whip]], and as its justice and corrections spokesman.
'''Simon James Power''', [[Queen's Service Order|(QSO)]] (born 5 December 1969) is a former New Zealand politician. He was a member of the [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]] and became Minister of Justice in the 2008-2011 National-led Government. He had previously served as the National Party's [[whip (politics)|chief whip]], and as its justice and corrections spokesman.


==Early years==
==Early years==

Revision as of 09:54, 29 December 2012

The Honourable
Simon Power
MP
46th Minister of Justice
In office
19 November 2008 – 12 December 2011
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byAnnette King
Succeeded byJudith Collins
Minister for State-Owned Enterprises
In office
19 November 2008 – April 2011
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byTrevor Mallard
Succeeded byTony Ryall
Minister of Commerce
In office
19 November 2008 – 12 December 2011
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byLianne Dalziel
Succeeded byCraig Foss
Deputy Leader of the House
In office
19 November 2008 – December 2011
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byDarren Hughes
Succeeded byAnne Tolley
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Rangitikei
In office
1999 – December 2011
Preceded byDenis Marshall
Succeeded byIan McKelvie
Personal details
Born (1969-12-05) 5 December 1969 (age 55)
 New Zealand
Political partyNational
ProfessionLawyer

Simon James Power, (QSO) (born 5 December 1969) is a former New Zealand politician. He was a member of the National Party and became Minister of Justice in the 2008-2011 National-led Government. He had previously served as the National Party's chief whip, and as its justice and corrections spokesman.

Early years

Power was educated in Palmerston North, attending St. Peter's College. He was prominent in the life of St. Peter's, captaining two senior sports teams and chairing the School Council. He later studied at Victoria University in Wellington, gaining first a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and then a Bachelor of Laws degree. For two years, he was President of the Victoria University Law Students' Society. He completed his university study in 1993.

After leaving university, Power worked as a lawyer in Palmerston North. For a brief period, he also worked in Auckland. In 1998, he decided to enter national politics. Having been a member of the National Party since the year he left university, he secured the party's nomination for Rangitikei, a predominantly rural area just outside Palmerston North. The incumbent, National MP Denis Marshall, retired from Parliament in 1999.

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1999–2002 46th Rangitikei 37 National
2002–2005 47th Rangitikei 13 National
2005–2008 48th Rangitikei 3 National
2008–2011 49th Rangitīkei 4 National

In the 1999 election, Power won Rangitikei. He defeated his opponent, the Labour Party's Craig Walsham, by slightly under three hundred votes. Once in parliament, Power became his party's spokesman on Labour, Industrial Relations, and Youth Affairs. After he retained his seat in the 2002 elections, these roles were swapped for Justice, Tertiary Education, and Workplace Skills. In 2003, when Don Brash became leader of the National Party, Power's responsibilities were once again reshuffled, giving him the portfolios of Defence, Veterans' Affairs, and Youth Affairs.

In May 2004, Power caused controversy for his statement that (as regards defence and foreign affairs) "where Britain, the United States and Australia go, we go". Power later expressed regret for how the statement was interpreted, and party leader Don Brash said that it did not reflect National Party policy. In August of the same year, Power was moved from the defence position to that of chief whip.[1]

Between 2005 and 2008, Power was Opposition Spokesperson on Law and Order[1] and repeatedly called for an inquiry into the management of the Corrections Department.[2][3] A few months before the election in 2008, Parliament’s Law & Order Select Committee agreed to hold a wide ranging inquiry.[4] When National won the election in 2008, Power was appointed Minister of Justice and abandoned his plans for an inquiry.

Achievements in government

During the term of the 49th Parliament, Power was ranked in fourth place within the National Party caucus. He was appointed Minister of Justice, Minister of Commerce and Minister Responsible for the Law Commission.[5] In his role as Minister of Justice, he was responsible for alcohol reform. As part of that process, the Law Commission was asked to undertake a comprehensive review of New Zealand's liquor legislation. After a two year investigation the Commission released a 500 page document titled Alcohol In Our Lives: Curbing the Harm In 2010,. It contained six key recommendations to reduce the death and social destruction caused by alcohol in New Zealand - all of which were ignored in the Alcohol Reform Bill introduced to parliament by Simon Power. The Bill was heavily panned for tinkering at the edges and "failing to use such devices as excise tax or minimum pricing to knock back alcohol consumption".[6]

In 2009, Power rejected suggestions (including executive amnesties) put forward by the Chief Justice, Dame Sian Elias, to reduce prison overcrowding. In 2010, Power rejected recommendations made by the Law Commission over The Misuse Of Drugs Act 1975 which was reviewed by the Commission in Feb 2010. A key recommendation in the report was that cannabis should be made legal for medical purposes but Power opted to keep the "status quo".[7] The editor of the New Zealand Herald stated "Justice Minister Simon Power is not shy of dismissing recommendations out of hand, no matter their source… (He) should not be effectively shutting down that debate before it has even begun."[8]

In 2011 Mr Power also introduced changes to legal aid in an attempt to cut the growing cost of the service[9] after a report by Dame Margaret Bazley found defence lawyers were 'rorting' the system in Manukau.[10] Mr Power was criticised by a group of 17 lawyers who regularly work at Manukau District Court after Dame Margaret subsequently admitted that her assertions were entirely based on anecdote. The lawyers demanded that Justice Minister Simon Power forward any evidence of corruption to the police or Serious Fraud Office for prosecution.[11] Jonathon Temm, president of the Law Society, was so concerned with the haste with which Mr Power was pushing through changes to legal aid, he called for a national debate on the criminal justice system.[12]

Life after Parliament

On 2 March 2011 Mr Power announced he would step at the end of the term in late 2011.[13] In April 2011, Power's ministerial portfolio for State-Owned Enterprises was transferred to Tony Ryall in preparation for Power's transition into business; he wanted to avoid potential conflicts of interest.[14]

In December 2011 Power was granted the right to retain the title of The Honourable[15] in recognition of his term as a Member of the Executive Council of New Zealand and became The Hon. Simon Power QSO. In January 2012 he became the head of Westpac Private Bank.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b "New Zealand Parliament – Simon Power". Archived from the original on 30 January 2008.
  2. ^ Power calls for inquiry into Corrections, Press Release, 23 January 2006,
  3. ^ Need for Corrections inquiry now undeniable, Press release 6 March 2006
  4. ^ Corrections inquiry long overdue, Press release 16 April 2008
  5. ^ Simon Power: Human rights balanced with police powers, NZ Herald 25 November 2010
  6. ^ Alcohol reforms too diluted for public taste, NZ Herald 28 August 2010
  7. ^ "Minister welcomes issues paper on Misuse of Drugs Act".
  8. ^ Editorial: Bring debate on drug use into the open, NZ Herald 13 February 2010
  9. ^ Justice denied under legal aid cuts - Labour, NZ Herald 12 August 2011
  10. ^ Corrupt lawyers swindling system - Bazley report, NZ Herald 28 November 2009
  11. ^ Editorial: An unseemly haste to reform, NZ Herald 11 April 2010
  12. ^ Law society calls for debate on criminal justice system, Radio New Zealand, Nine to Noon, 13 April 2011
  13. ^ Martin Kay (2 March 2011). "Justice Minister Simon Power to retire". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  14. ^ "Simon Power ditches SOE portfolio". TVNZ. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  15. ^ "Retention of the Title ‘The Honourable’" (15 December 2011) 200 The New Zealand Gazette 5729.
  16. ^ "Simon Power going to Westpac Bank". The New Zealand Herald. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.

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