User:Brian New Zealand/Burton

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The Honourable Mark Burton
Photo of Mark Burton
Incumbent
Assumed office  1993
Born	16 January 1956 (age 51) Northampton, England
Constituency	Taupo
Political party	Labour

Richard Mark Burton (known as Mark Burton) (16 January 1956 - ) is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party, and currently serves as Minister of Justice; Minister of Local Government; Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations; Deputy Leader of the House; Minister Responsible for the Law Commission.

Burton was born in Northampton, England, but was brought to New Zealand by his family when ten years old. He attended high school in Wanganui. He has been involved in a wide range of social and community organisations, including the Red Cross, the Department of Social Welfare, the Central Plateau Rural Education Activities Programme, the Council of Social Services, the Taupo Employment Support Trust, and the Taupo Sexual Abuse Counselling Service. He received a medal for his work in 1990.

In the 1993 elections, Burton stood as the Labour Party's candidate for Tongariro, an electorate in the central North Island. This later became the seat of Taupo, which Burton retained. From 1996 to 1999, he served as his party's Senior Whip. When the Labour Party won power in the 1999 election, Burton became part of the new Cabinet, assuming the roles of Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Defence, Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, Minister of Tourism, and Minister of Veterans' Affairs. In 2002, Internal Affairs and Veterans' Affairs were transferred to George Hawkins. In February 2005 he becomes the Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, and dropped the State Owned Enterprises portfolio.

In late 2004, with Jonathan Hunt set to retire from politics, Burton was regarded by many as the Labour Party's preferred choice to replace him as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In the end, however, Labour decided to nominate Margaret Wilson for the position.

[edit] Political offices

Parl.	Electorate	List Pos.	Party
44th	Tongariro	n/a	Labour
45th	Taupo	10	Labour
46th	Taupo	18	Labour
47th	Taupo	16	Labour
48th	Taupo	16	Labour

Preceded by (constituency created)	Member of Parliament for Taupo 1996 – present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by -	Deputy Leader of the House 10 December 1999 – present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by -	Minister of Justice October 19, 2005 – present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by -	Minister of Local Government October 19, 2005 – present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by -	Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations October 19, 2005 – present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by -	Minister Responsible for the Law Commission October 19, 2005 – present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by -	Minister of Internal Affairs 10 December 1999 – 13 November 2000	Succeeded by '
Preceded by -	[[]] October 19, 2005 – present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by -	[[]] October 19, 2005 – present	Succeeded by incumbent