Prime Minister Helen Clark Succeeded by Hone Harawira Party New Zealand Labour Party Preceded by Tau Henare Role Member of Parliament | Succeeded by Parekura Horomia Name Dover Samuels Preceded by Tau Henare Religion Ratana | |
 | ||
Born 9 July 1939 (age 84) ( 1939-07-09 ) | ||
Captioned version dover samuels profile story on waka huia 14 april 2013
Dover Spencer Peneha Samuels (born 9 July 1939) was a Labour Member of Parliament in New Zealand from 1996 to 2008 inclusive.
Contents
- Captioned version dover samuels profile story on waka huia 14 april 2013
- Dover samuels profile story on waka huia 14 april 2013
- Political career
- Personal life
- References
Dover samuels profile story on waka huia 14 april 2013
Political career
He first entered Parliament as a list MP in the 1996 election, and was the MP for Te Tai Tokerau since the 1999 election. When the Labour Party formed a government following its victory in 1999, Samuels became the Minister of Māori Affairs, but resigned this role in June 2000 pending an investigation into alleged sex crimes committed before he entered politics. The police later cleared Samuels of all charges, and Samuels alleged that the accusations had political motivations. He was reinstated as a Minister of State in 2002, but in 2005 was involved in further controversy following a late-night incident in which he publicly urinated in a hallway within Auckland's Heritage hotel.
Samuels lost his Māori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau in 2005 to the Māori Party candidate Hone Harawira. However, he was returned to parliament due to his high position on the Labour Party list. He was made the Associate Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Tourism and Industry and Regional Development.
On 31 October 2007, during the Cabinet reshuffle, Samuels lost his position as a Minister outside Cabinet and was replaced by Darren Hughes. He returned to the backbench.
Samuels did not contest the 2008 election.
Personal life
He is an active member of the Ratana Established Church of New Zealand.