Grant Gillon

Grant Gillon is a New Zealand politician. He is currently a North Shore City Councillor, elected with the highest vote in his Harbour Ward. Gillon has spent the last few years studying towards a recently submitted PhD in Public Policy. During this time he also lectured at both Massey and AUT universities. Grant Gillon is also the Executive Officer for the ISTANZ union for teachers. He was a director of the SOE AsureNZ before the company was merged with another SOE, AgriQuality to form AsureQuality. Grant Gillon is most well known for his community work and is a member of the Birkenhead Licensing Trust. He was an MP from 1996 to 2002, representing the Alliance.

Before standing as a candidate, Gillon had a long association with the Social Credit Party, which later became the Democratic Party and joined the Alliance. Gillon was elected to Parliament as an Alliance list MP in the 1996 elections, having been ranked in eleventh place on the party list. He remained in Parliament after the 1999 elections being a Government Whip and Deputy Chair of the Government Administration Select Committee, a member of the Privileges, Officers of Parliament, Standing Orders, Members' Services, Business, Parliamentary Services, Legislative Cabinet Committee and other parliamentary committees.

In 2001, Gillon became leader of the Democrats, replacing John Wright. When the Alliance collapsed in 2002, Gillon and the Democrats joined Jim Anderton's breakaway party, the Progressive Coalition. In the 2002 elections, Gillon was ranked third on the Progressive list, behind Anderton and Matt Robson, but the party won only enough votes for two seats, leaving Gillon outside Parliament. Shortly afterwards, the Democrats voted to leave the Progressive Coalition; Gillon opposed this move, and eventually decided (along with former leader John Wright) to leave the Democrats and stay with the Progressives. He was replaced as leader of the Democrats by Stephnie de Ruyter. Gillon was formerly the president of the Progressive Party (until 2007).

More Info: http://www.blogitude.com/2000/07/06/sheep