Chris Laidlaw

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Parl.	Electorate	List Pos.	Party
43rd	Wellington Central		Labour

Christopher Robert Laidlaw (born November 16, 1943), Rhodes Scholar, All Black, diplomat, MP, talk radio host, author, is a 20th century New Zealand figure.

Laidlaw attended Otago University from 1962 to 1966, after which he went overseas with the All Blacks. In 1969 Laidlaw took up his Rhodes Scholarship at Merton College, Oxford.

In 1972, Laidlaw joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and served as Assistant to Commonwealth Secretary-General Sonny Ramphal. In 1986, Laidlaw became New Zealand's first resident High Commissioner to Harare, representing New Zealand's interests throughout Africa. In 1989, Laidlaw was appointed Race Relations Conciliator.

Laidlaw won the Wellington Central by-election in 1992, following the election of Fran Wilde to the Wellington mayoralty. He failed to win re-election in the 1993 General election, losing to National's Pauline Gardiner. Following the election he was convicted of fraud for misuse of Parliamentary taxi chits. This conviction was suppressed by the court (this is only applicable within New Zealand).

Laidlaw is a supporter of New Zealand becoming a republic. In 1997 he published remarks allegedly made to him by His Royal Highness Prince Charles during his visit of that year, which appeared to show the Prince implicitly supports a New Zealand republic. Laidlaw later published the claim in his book Rights of Passage, and again in his New Zealand Herald column in March 2005, during Prince Charles' visit. No comment was made by the Prince as to the validity of the comments.

Wellington Regional Council has occupied much of his time in recent years. He currently also hosts the Radio New Zealand National Radio Sunday morning slot.

Laidlaw is married to Helen Kedgley, and is a brother-in-law of Green MP Sue Kedgley.