Michael Wood (New Zealand politician)
The Honourable Michael Wood MP | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 28th Minister of Transport | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 November 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern |
| Preceded by | Phil Twyford |
| 4th Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 November 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern |
| Preceded by | Andrew Little |
| Deputy Leader of the House | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 November 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern |
| Preceded by | Iain Lees-Galloway |
| Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives | |
| In office 27 June 2019 – 2 November 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern |
| Preceded by | Ruth Dyson |
| Succeeded by | Kieran McAnulty |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Ethnic Communities | |
| In office 26 October 2017 – 27 June 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern |
| Minister | Jenny Salesa |
| Succeeded by | Priyanca Radhakrishnan |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Mount Roskill | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 3 December 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Phil Goff |
| Majority | 13,853 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 May 1980 |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Julie Fairey |
| Children | 3 |
Michael Philip Wood (born 10 May 1980) is a New Zealand politician and, since winning the Mount Roskill by-election in December 2016, a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He is a member of the Labour Party.
Early life[]
Wood was born in 1980. While a university student Wood worked as a Christmas tree salesman. After finishing university he initially worked in retail jobs for several years, including at Hugh Wright's, a men's clothing store. He joined the union movement, and worked as an organiser as a senior negotiator for the financial sector union Finance and Information Workers Union. He then joined Habitat for Humanity as an advisor working on several issues such as their health and safety procedures.[1][2]
Political career[]
In 1998, his first year at university, he became critical of the direction of New Zealand under the Fourth National Government, confirmed by that years power crisis in Auckland. Wood reflected that the period was "...a sign that things weren’t working well in our society". He joined Princes Street Labour and later took part in the Hikoi for Hope as well.[2]
Wood stood in Pakuranga during the 2002 and 2005 elections and was on the Labour Party list in 2008. In 2010 he was elected to the Puketāpapa Local Board representing Roskill Community Voice. He was the Labour candidate during the 2011 Botany by-election and in the 2014 election stood in Epsom.[3][4]
After serving as the Mount Roskill Labour electorate chairman, in June 2016 he was selected as the Labour party's electorate candidate for the 2017 election following Phil Goff announcing he would instead contest the 2016 Auckland mayoralty election. Goff endorsed Wood as his successor.[5][6]
Member of Parliament[]
| New Zealand Parliament | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 2016–2017 | 51st | Mt Roskill | Labour | |
| 2017–2020 | 52nd | Mt Roskill | 27 | Labour |
| 2020–present | 53rd | Mt Roskill | 23 | Labour |
Following Goff's election to the Auckland mayoralty and resignation as a Member of Parliament in October 2016, Wood was confirmed as the candidate for the Mt Roskill by-election.[7] Turnout was above average for a by-election, and Wood received more than twice as many votes as his closest rival, Parmjeet Parmar of the National Party.[8]
On 16 December 2016, he was named as the Labour Party's spokesman on Consumer Affairs, Ethnic Communities, and Revenue. On 7 February 2017, the first sitting day of Parliament since his election, he took the House of Representatives' Oath of Allegiance.[9] Wood retained the Mount Roskill electorate in 2017, preserving his large majority.[10]
Wood was sworn in as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Ethnic Communities following the formation of the Sixth Labour Government.[11][12]
In a June 2019 reshuffle, Wood was promoted to Chief Government Whip, succeeding Ruth Dyson.[13] Since 25 March 2020, Wood has been a member of the Epidemic Response Committee, a select committee that considers the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]
During the 2020 New Zealand general election, Wood was re-elected in Mount Roskill by a final margin of 13,853 votes, defeating the National Party's candidate Parmjeet Parmar.[15] Wood was promoted to cabinet following the 2020 election, becoming Minister of Transport, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, and Deputy Leader of the House.[16][17]
Political positions[]
Wood was opposed to End of Life Choice and in favour of legalising recreational cannabis.[2]
Personal life[]
Wood lives in Roskill South with his wife Julie and their three sons. For several years he was the main caregiver for his children.[2]
References[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Wood (New Zealand politician). |
- ^ "Michael Wood". New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Young, Audrey (13 January 2021). "Meet the Minister: Michael Wood - Transport and Workplace relations". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "Official Count Results – Botany". Electoral Commission. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ Electoral Commission (10 October 2014). "Official Count Results – Epsom". Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ Trevett, Claire (13 June 2016). "Labour names Michael Wood for Mt Roskill to take over Phil Goff". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ Trevett, Claire (12 June 2016). "Labour Party selects Michael Wood to replace Phil Goff as Mt Roskill candidate". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ Saxton, Amanda (9 October 2016). "Parties ramping up for Mt Roskill by-election". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ^ "Mt Roskill by-election: Labour candidate builds healthy lead". Radio New Zealand. 3 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ "Daily progress for Tuesday, 7 February 2017 - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz.
- ^ "Mt Roskill – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 7 October 2017.
- ^ "Jacinda Ardern reveals ministers of new government". The New Zealand Herald. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Ministerial List". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's cabinet reshuffle - the ups and downs". Stuff. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- ^ "Epidemic response". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ "Mt Roskill - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ "Ministerial List for Announcement on Monday" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 November 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
- ^ Sowman-Lund, Stewart (2 November 2020). "Live updates, November 2: Full cabinet list: Deputy PM Grant Robertson, Twyford demoted". The Spinoff. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
| show Authority control  |
|---|
- 1980 births
- Living people
- New Zealand Labour Party MPs
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 2002 New Zealand general election
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 2005 New Zealand general election
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 2008 New Zealand general election
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 2014 New Zealand general election
- 21st-century New Zealand politicians
- Candidates in the 2017 New Zealand general election
- New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates
- Candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election