Stephen Franks
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Stephen Franks (born 1950) is a New Zealand political commentator and former Member of Parliament for ACT New Zealand. He is currently the New Zealand National Party candidate for the electorate of Wellington Central. Franks is also a spokesperson for the Sensible Sentencing Trust. Franks was educated at Victoria University of Wellington, studying law. He was admitted to the Bar in 1975. He specialised in commercial law, and has held a number of senior legal positions (including the chairmanship of Chapman Tripp, a prominent law firm). Franks entered Parliament in the 1999 elections, having been ranked in third place on the party's list. This high ranking (above several sitting MPs) was indicative of ACT's high hopes for Franks at the time - as a prominent lawyer, he was generally regarded as a significant asset for the party. In Parliament, Franks' main policy portfolio was justice and law, although he also served as the party's Commerce, Maori Affairs and Sportsspokesperson.
When Richard Prebble announced his retirement from politics in early 2004, Franks was one of the four candidates who sought to take his place as leader of ACT. Franks ran on a platform of restoring the party's core message. Despite receiving the endorsement of party founder Roger Douglas, he was eventually defeated by Rodney Hide. After Hide became leader of the ACT party on 13 June, Franks remained the party's spokesperson for justice.
Franks lost his seat in Parliament in the 2005 general election when the vote for ACT reduced the party to two seats. He has since returned to practicing law, rejoining his old firm, Chapman Tripp.
In 2008, Franks was selected as the National Party candidate for the electorate of Wellington Central, for the 2008 general election. His return to national politics was inspired by his opposition to the controversial Electoral Finance Act. He has cited the diminished capacity of Act and his long standing respect for the National Party as the reason for changing his party affiliation.1 His main opposition for the seat is trade unionist Grant Robertson, standing for the New Zealand Labour Party.
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
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- The 1993 Company Law Reform Summit: 20 & 21 September 1993, James Cook Hotel, Wellington, Auckland, [N.Z.]: The Institute, 1993
- Franks' contribution is the opening address: {U]pdate and overview of the commercial significance of company law reform." This paper also appears in the following publication:
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- Corporate Reform Consultancy, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Chapman Tripp Sheffield Young, 1994
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- Closing the gaps: policy papers, Wellington, [N.Z.]: ACT New Zealand Parliamentary Office, 2001, ISBN 0-958-21781-5
- Franks' contribution is the paper: "Justice for all."
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- Old values, new ideas, Wellington, [N.Z.]: ACT New Zealand Parliamentary Office, 2002
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- The 3rd annual Maori Legal Forum: 24th & 25th June 2004, Wellington Town Hall, Wellington : New Zealand's leading forum for discussing key developments in Maori law, Auckland, [N.Z.]: Conferenz, 2004
- Franks' contribution was participation in a panel discussion entitled: "[D]iscussing the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi"
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- Access to justice: rhetoric or reality: [(Australasian Law Reform Agencies Conference (2004 : Wellington, NZ)], Wellington, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Law Commission, 2004
- Franks' contribution is the paper: "Law reform and indigeniety: going native: what indigeniety should look like in the morning."
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- Franks, Stephen L. & Baxt, Robert (1988), Submission to the Law Commission on company law, Wellington, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Business Roundtable
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- Liberal thinking, Wellington, [N.Z.]: ACT New Zealand Parliamentary Office, 2003
- Franks' contribution is the paper: "Liberals and the law."
