Name Bruce Cliffe | Role Politician | |
Bruce Windsor Cliffe (born 24 September 1946) is an international business man and a former New Zealand politician. He was born in Auckland, and attended Takapuna Grammar School and the University of Auckland.
Member of Parliament
He was a Member of Parliament for the National Party from 1990 to 1996. In 1990 he replaced the retiring George Gair in the North Shore seat, and was re-elected in 1993. He became a Cabinet Minister in December 1993 holding the portfolios of Accident Compensation, Radio & Television, and Associate Finance.
In 1995, with the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation election impending in 1996, he resigned his cabinet posts and was a founder member of the United New Zealand Party, initially led by Clive Matthewson. Bruce Cliffe then unsuccessfully sought to bring about a merger of ACT and United, along with other smaller "centre" or liberal parties to create a "united" centre party for the new MMP environment. In 1996 he chose to resign from Parliament. The United New Zealand Party, although losing all its seats in the 1996 election bar Dunne's electorate seat, continued in Parliament under his leadership, and has played a role in supporting every Government since 1996.
Since 1997 Bruce Cliffe has resumed work in the international food technology and investment business that he originally established in 1981.