Warren Cooper
| The Honourable Warren Cooper QSO |
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|---|---|
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| Warren Cooper as Minister of Foreign Affairs, during a meeting with Caspar Weinberger at the Pentagon in 1983 | |
| 31st Minister of Defence | |
| In office 2 November 1990 – 1 March 1996 |
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| Prime Minister | Jim Bolger |
| Preceded by | Peter Tapsell |
| Succeeded by | Max Bradford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 February 1933 |
| Political party | National |
Warren Cooper QSO (born 21 February 1933) is a former New Zealand politician. He was a National Party MP from 1975 to 1996, holding cabinet positions including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence.[1] Cooper also twice served as Mayor of Queenstown, from 1968 to 1975 and 1995 to 2001.[2]
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[edit] Early life
Cooper was born in Dunedin, but later moved to Queenstown. He worked as a retailer, a signwriting contractor, and a motel manager, and also became involved in local politics.
[edit] Member of Parliament
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| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1975–1978 | 38th | Otago Central | National | |
| 1978–1981 | 39th | Otago | National | |
| 1981–1984 | 40th | Otago | National | |
| 1984–1987 | 41st | Otago | National | |
| 1987–1990 | 42nd | Otago | National | |
| 1990–1993 | 43rd | Otago | National | |
| 1993–1996 | 44th | Otago | National | |
He was first elected to Parliament in the 1975 elections as MP for Otago, defeating the newly elected Ian Quigley of the Labour Party. In 1978, he was appointed to his first ministerial roles, most notably Minister of Tourism. When Brian Talboys retired from Parliament in 1981, Cooper was appointed to replace him as Minister of Foreign Affairs — he held this position until the government of Robert Muldoon was defeated in 1984. Later, in the government of Jim Bolger, Cooper served as Minister of Defence. Cooper remained in Parliament until the 1996 elections, when he stepped aside in favour of Gavan Herlihy.
[edit] Mayor
Cooper was Mayor of Queenstown Borough Council from 1968 to 1975, and Mayor of Queenstown Lakes District Council from 1995 to 2001.[3] He was involved in a public argument with actor Sam Neill in 2000, over development in Queenstown.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Trevett, Claire (21 April 2007). "Jim Bolger - regrets and legacies". New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10435251&pnum=0. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
- ^ McKinnon, Malcolm. "Government and politics - Otago Association and Otago province". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.teara.govt.nz/Places/Otago/Otago/13/en. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
- ^ "Past Mayors of the QLDC". Queenstown Lakes District Council. http://www.qldc.govt.nz/past_mayors_of_the_qldc. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- ^ "Former mayor and Sam Neill make up". New Zealand Herald. 25 May 2005. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10127454. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
