Hilary Jane Calvert[1] (born 5 October 1954) is a lawyer and a former member of the New Zealand parliament for the ACT Party. Following the resignation of ACT MP David Garrett in September 2010, she assumed a position in the House of Representatives as the next MP on ACT's list.[2] In 2013 she was elected to the Dunedin City Council, after a failed campaign for mayor.[3]
Hilary Calvert | |
|---|---|
Hilary Calvert campaigning in 2008 | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for ACT party list | |
| In office 24 September 2010 – 26 November 2011 | |
| Preceded by | David Garrett[n 1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 October 1954 |
| Political party | ACT |
| Spouse | Alistair Broad |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Dunedin |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Early years
editBefore entering Parliament, Calvert was a Dunedin-based lawyer who specialising in property law.[4] She is a former member of the Otago Central Rail Trail Charitable Trust.[5]
Calvert is married to Alistair Broad and has three adult daughters.[6] Both Calvert and Broad are trained lawyers, but have given up their practising certificates. Calvert now manages her property portfolio.[6]
Political career
edit| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2011 | 49th | List | 6 | ACT | |
In the 2008 general election she was placed number six on the ACT party list and stood in the Dunedin North electorate where she got 1.8% of the votes.[7]
David Garrett resigned as an ACT list MP over a passport controversy on 17 September 2010.[8] Garrett then resigned from Parliament on 23 September 2010 and Calvert was declared elected to the House of Representatives the next day.[2][9] While an MP, she served on several committees and was the ACT Party Whip.[10]
Calvert did not appear on the party list released for the 2011 general election.
She challenged incumbent Dave Cull for the Dunedin mayoralty in the 2013 local body elections and also sought a seat on the Dunedin City Council.[11] She contested these elections as an independent, unsure whether or not she was still a member of ACT.[12] While Calvert had no previous local government experience, she finished second to Cull in the mayoral election and was elected to Council with the highest number of first-preference votes.[12][13] In the 2019 local elections, she won a seat on the Otago Regional Council.[14]
Personal policies
editCalvert does not agree with attempts to ban farming chickens in cages, saying "We care about people ahead of silly little chickens."[15]
Notes
edit- ^ Normally, list MPs do not have individual predecessors or successors, but Garrett resigned during a sitting parliament and therefore was succeeded by Calvert.
References
edit- ^ Cheng, Derek (24 September 2010). "Dark forces at work in Act Party, says Garrett". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Disgraced NZ MP quits politics". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ Morris, Chris (14 October 2013). "Cull sees challenge ahead". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ "Hilary Calvert". Politics.org.nz. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- ^ "The Otago Central Rail Trail Charitable Trust". Otago Central Rail Trail. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- ^ a b Mackenzie, Dene (23 September 2010). "Dunedin MPs: Calvert expected to make it six". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
- ^ "Heather Roy's Diary". Scoop. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- ^ "David Garrett resigns after passport revelations". ONE News. Television New Zealand. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- ^ New list MP for ACT Party Archived 25 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine elections.org.nz, 24 September 2010
- ^ "Hilary Calvert". New Zealand Parliament. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
- ^ Morris, Chris (19 July 2013). "Calvert confirms bid for mayoralty". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
- ^ a b Morris, Chris (14 September 2013). "Mayoral Profile: Hilary Calvert". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
- ^ "Dunedin City Council : 2013 Triennial Elections" (PDF). Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 14 October 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Dunedin City Council : 2019 Election results - Otago Regional Council". Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ "SAFE outraged at Act MP's 'silly little chicken's' comments". Television New Zealand. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.