Name Paul Quinn Role New Zealand politician | Education Lincoln University | |
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Party New Zealand National Party | ||
Question time paul quinn to the minister of transport
Bernard "Paul" Quinn is a New Zealand rugby union player and politician and a member of the National Party. He was elected into the 49th New Zealand Parliament in 2008 by way of the party list and served for one term until 2011. In 2013, he had the option of returning to Parliament following the resignation of MP Jackie Blue as he was the highest ranked person on the party list, but he declined the opportunity, instead making way for Paul Foster-Bell.
Contents
- Question time paul quinn to the minister of transport
- Early life
- Rugby career
- Member of Parliament
- References
Early life
Quinn has connections to the Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Awa iwi and worked as a manager in the Department of Maori Affairs (now Te Puni Kōkiri) between 1979 and 1984.
Quinn is director and sole owner of "MOCOM LIMITED" (formerly called "M COMMERCE LIMITED"), was a director of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences from 1992–1998 and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.
Rugby career
Quinn played Rugby Union for the Wellington Rugby Football Union 1976–1983 (Captain 1981–1983) and for the New Zealand Māori rugby union team 1977–1982 (Captain 1980–1982). He was the Head Coach for the Texas Rugby Union in 1987. He is a former director of the New Zealand Rugby Union since April 2002.
He also served as chairman of the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board.
Member of Parliament
Quinn stood for the New Zealand National Party in the Hutt South electorate at the 2008 general election and was also ranked 48 on the party's list. Quinn finished second in Hutt South to Trevor Mallard but was elected from the party list.
In 2010 Quinn's Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill was drawn from the member's ballot. The Bill removed voting rights for prisoners, and was declared to be inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. The bill was passed into law in December 2010.
At the 2011 general election, Quinn again finished second in Hutt South and his party ranking of 55 was too low to be re-elected.
During his time in Parliament, Quinn served on the Maori Affairs Committee (9 December 2008 – 20 October 2011), Justice and Electoral Committee (9 December 2008 – 20 October 2011) and Electoral Legislation Committee (31 March 2010 – 20 October 2011).
Quinn had the opportunity to return to Parliament in mid–2013, following the resignation of MP Jackie Blue, given that he was the highest ranked person on National's party list, but he declined the opportunity to return as he had "moved on". Instead diplomat Paul Foster-Bell took the role.