Marian Hobbs

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Marian Leslie Hobbs (18 December 1947 - ), a New Zealand politician, became a Labour Member of Parliament in 1996 and has represented the Wellington Central electorate since 1999.

Before entering politics, Hobbs worked as a teacher and as a school principal. A former Communist[citation needed], she helped to establish the Chippenham commune in Christchurch and practises Quakerism[1].

Contents

[edit] Member of Parliament

Parliament Years Electorate List Position Party
45th 1996-1999 (None: List) 12 Labour
46th 1999-2002 Wellington Central 23 Labour
47th 2002-2005 Wellington Central 17 Labour
48th 2005- Wellington Central 9 Labour

[edit] Selwyn by-election

Hobbs stood unsuccessfully in the Selwyn by-election of 1994, but won election to Parliament as a list MP in the 1996 elections. (In the same elections she unsuccessfully contested the Kaikoura seat against the National Party's Doug Kidd).

In the 1999 elections, Hobbs won the Wellington Central electorate, defeating the incumbent member, ACT Party leader Richard Prebble.

[edit] Cabinet minister

After Labour's electoral victory in 1999, Hobbs joined the Cabinet, becoming Minister for the Environment, Minister of Biosecurity, Minister of Broadcasting, and Minister Responsible for the National Library of New Zealand and Archives New Zealand. In February 2001, she briefly resigned from Cabinet while an enquiry investigated her allowance-claims; she returned in late March after receiving official clearance.

Following the 2002 General Election, Hobbs functioned as the Minister for the Environment, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for Official Development Assistance, Associate Minister for Biosecurity, Associate Minister of Education, Minister Responsible for the National Library, Minister Responsible for Archives New Zealand, and Minister Responsible for Urban Affairs.

[edit] Resignation from Cabinet

In 2004, Hobbs told Prime Minister Helen Clark that she did not expect to seek a post in Cabinet again after the 2005 election, and she made this decision public during the negotiations to form a government in October 2005.

As Minister of Broadcasting, Hobbs set a code of practice for New Zealand commercial radio, specifying that 20 percent of music played should have New Zealand origins.

[edit] Wellington Central electorate

Hobbs continues to hold the Electorate seat of Wellington Central. At the 2005 general election she retained her seat with a 6,180 majority over the National Party candidate, Mark Blumsky[2]. In March 2008, she became the Assistant Speaker of the House, after Ann Hartley resigned.

[edit] Foreshadowed resignation from Parliament

Hobbs first announced her resignation in November 2006 in a feature-article in a Wellington real-estate magazine, Tommy's; she did this intentionally, demonstrating the quirky sense of humour[citation needed] which had endeared her (eventually[original research?]) to her electorate. In December 2006 Hobbs repeated the announcement (during a radio-interview) that she would not seek re-election at the 2008 general election, confirming much speculation to that effect. She has signalled her intention to work as a teacher in the United Kingdom, in compensation for never having made a traditional working-holiday as a young woman.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ruth Berry, The Evening Post. [? Marian Hobbs and Phillida Bunkle resign their ministerial posts, 23 February 2001]. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
  2. ^ Electoral Commission. Wellington Central Electorate results 2006. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
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