Simon Power (politician)

For other people named Simon Power, see Simon Power (disambiguation).

The Honourable Simon Power MP
46th Minister of Justice
In office 19 November 2008 – 12 December 2011
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Annette King
Succeeded by	Judith Collins
Minister for State-Owned Enterprises
In office 19 November 2008 – April 2011
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Trevor Mallard
Succeeded by	Tony Ryall
Minister of Commerce
In office 19 November 2008 – 12 December 2011
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Lianne Dalziel
Succeeded by	Craig Foss
Deputy Leader of the House
In office 19 November 2008 – December 2011
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Darren Hughes
Succeeded by	Anne Tolley
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Rangitikei
In office 1999 – December 2011
Preceded by	Denis Marshall
Succeeded by	Ian McKelvie
Personal details
Born	(1969-12-05) 5 December 1969 New Zealand
Political party	National
Profession	Lawyer

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.

Between 2005 and 2008, Power was Opposition Spokesperson on Law and Order and repeatedly called for an inquiry into the management of the Corrections Department. A few months before the election in 2008, Parliament’s Law & Order Select Committee agreed to hold a wide ranging inquiry. 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. 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".

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". 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."

In 2011 Mr Power also introduced changes to legal aid in an attempt to cut the growing cost of the service after a report by Dame Margaret Bazley found defence lawyers were 'rorting' the system in Manukau. 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. 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.

Life after Parliament

On 2 March 2011 Mr Power announced he would step at the end of the term in late 2011. 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.

In December 2011 Power was granted the right to retain the title of The Honourable 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.

External links

• Profile at National party
• Profile at New Zealand Parliament
• Releases and speeches at Beehive.govt.nz
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.co.nz