Tim van de Molen

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Tim van de Molen
MP
Tim van de Molen.png
van de Molen during Anzac Day 2021
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Waikato
Assumed office
23 September 2017
Preceded byLindsay Tisch
Personal details
Born
Timothy John van de Molen

1985 (age 36–37)
Political partyNational
Spouse(s)Hilary
ChildrenTwo

Timothy John van de Molen (born 1985) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the National Party.

Personal life[]

Born in 1985[1] to two primary school teachers and one of five children, van de Molen grew up mainly in Matamata and lives in Tamahere, Waikato. As of 2017, he had never lived outside of the Waikato region apart from an OE. He has a degree in social sciences with a psychology major.[2]

Tim van de Molen with his daughter, son and new puppy
Van de Molen with his daughter, son and pet dog

He has worked as a farmer; in 2013, he won the NZ Young Farmer of the Year Award and was runner up in 2011, and he bought a farm when he was 29 years old. He has also worked as a rural manager for Rabobank, as well as in the army, in tourism, and for the ambulance service St John New Zealand.[2][3][4][5][6]

Van de Molen is married to his wife Hilary and has a daughter and a son.[2]

Political career[]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2017–2020 52nd Waikato 66 National
2020–present 53rd Waikato 42 National
Tim van de Molen attending the Groundswell Protest in 2021
Van de Molen supporting farmers at the Groundswell Protest, 2021

At the 2017 general election van de Molen stood in the electorate of Waikato. He had not previously stood for parliament or another office. Van de Molen was selected by National to replace Lindsay Tisch as their candidate who had decided not to seek re-election. Van de Molen was expected to win – the Waikato electorate has been held by the National Party since 1938[2] – and he did so, winning with 61% of the electorate vote.[7] He said that his focuses in his first term would be improving broadband in rural areas and advancing a Waikato medical school to train rural GPs.[6]

In 2018, van de Molen took on the role of the National Party's Third Whip, subordinate to the party's Senior Whip.[8] He also served on the Primary Production and the Transport and Infrastructure select committees during this term.[9]

In the 2020 general election, van de Molen again stood for Waikato. In his campaign, he said that agriculture and transport remained his focus, including advocating for the Cambridge to Piarere expressway extension and seeking reduced expectation for farming to make drastic changes around the environment without support.[10] He retained the seat with 51% of the electorate vote.[11]

Voting record[]

Van de Molen voted in favour of the final reading for the End of Life Choice Bill in 2019, unlike most of his National MP colleagues.[12] He voted in favour of the first and second readings of the Abortion Legislation Bill of 2019,[13][14] but against its third, final reading.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Strongman, Susan (1 November 2017). "What's it like to be young and blue?". RNZ. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Tim van de Molen". New Zealand National Party. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  4. ^ "National selects new Waikato candidate for 2017 – Scoop News". Scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Matangi banker takes out young farmer title". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b Nyika, Ruby (23 September 2017). "First seat for farmer Tim van de Molen". Stuff. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Waikato – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  8. ^ "New Whips to help keep National moving forward". New Zealand National Party. National Party – press release. 21 March 2018. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  9. ^ "van de Molen, Tim – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  10. ^ Rowland, Tom (7 August 2020). "Election 2020: National and Labour eye the Waikato region as beating heart to New Zealand". NZ Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Waikato – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  12. ^ "End of Life Choice Bill final reading: How your MP voted". NZ Herald. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  13. ^ Walls, Jason (8 August 2019). "How Members of Parliament voted in the first reading of the Abortion Legislation Bill". NZ Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Abortion Legislation Bill — Second Reading – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Abortion Legislation Bill — Third Reading – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Lindsay Tisch
Member of Parliament for Waikato
2017–present
Incumbent
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