Aaron Gilmore: Difference between revisions
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'''Aaron Gilmore''' (born 26 August 1973) is a New Zealand businessman and former [[politician]] and member of the [[New Zealand National Party]]. He was a list MP from the [[New Zealand general election, 2008|2008 election]] until the 2011 election and again from February to May 2013. He is now a investor in a number private ventures via his vehicle www.mightyrocket.com |
'''Aaron Gilmore''' (born 26 August 1973) is a New Zealand businessman and former [[politician]] and member of the [[New Zealand National Party]]. He was a list MP from the [[New Zealand general election, 2008|2008 election]] until the 2011 election and again from February to May 2013. He is now a investor in a number of private ventures via his vehicle www.mightyrocket.com |
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==Early years== |
==Early years== |
Revision as of 12:38, 13 June 2014
Aaron Gilmore | |
---|---|
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for National Party list | |
In office 8 November 2008 – 10 December 2011 | |
In office 19 February 2013 – 27 May 2013 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Christchurch, New Zealand | 26 August 1973
Political party | National |
Aaron Gilmore (born 26 August 1973) is a New Zealand businessman and former politician and member of the New Zealand National Party. He was a list MP from the 2008 election until the 2011 election and again from February to May 2013. He is now a investor in a number of private ventures via his vehicle www.mightyrocket.com
Early years
Gilmore was born in Christchurch to shopkeeper parents and attended Parkview Primary School, in the Christchurch suburb of Parklands. He attended Shirley Boys' High School, before attending the University of Canterbury where he gained a Masters of Commerce in with honours in Economics in 1995.[1]
Gilmore began his career working as an analyst with the Ministry of Transport in Wellington in 1995.[1] The following year he began working at the Department of Treasury at the Crown Companies Monitoring Advisory Unit as an advisor on state owned enterprise privatisation. In 1997 Gilmore worked on secondment to SOE Minister Tony Ryall, where he advised on the sale of state owned enterprises.
Gilmore left the public service in 1999 to join Ernst and Young, where he worked on international projects advising utility companies. In 2001 he joined Cameron and Partners in a similar role. In 2004 Gilmore returned to Ernst and Young in Christchurch as a senior manager. In 2005 Gilmore progressed to General Cable, where he worked as Corporate Development Manager until selection as a National Party candidate.
Member of Parliament
Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008–2011 | 49th | List | 56 | National | |
Feb – May 2013 | 50th | List | 53 | National |
Gilmore was selected by the National Party Christchurch East local electorate as its candidate in the safe Labour seat of Christchurch East at the end of 2007. In August 2008 the National Party announced that he would be placed at number 56 on the National Party list. Gilmore came second in the electorate race, losing to the incumbent, Lianne Dalziel, by 5,765 votes, but achieved a record for National in the area of over 12,000 party and personal votes.[2]
Gilmore's curriculum vitae posted on the Parliament web page until 2010 listed him as a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute, a position he never had but which he had sat a number of the exams and had indeed passed level 1 of 3 and had been a provisional member. He attributed the error to the Parliamentary Service, but a spokesman said "biographical information about MPs published on its website was supplied by them and approved by them as correct".[3] The same online CV by Parliamentary Services also reported that Gilmore was married when he had not been and a number of other inaccuracies. Gilmore was never provided evidence of any approval of the published inaccuracies.
In the 2011 election, he again contested Christchurch East and was 53rd on the party list. He again placed second in the electorate behind Dalziel, but won the party vote for National by over 5,000 votes [4] and on election night results was set to be returned to parliament via the list, the last-placed candidate to be returned. However, with the counting of special votes and the release of official results, National lost a seat to the Green Party so Gilmore was not returned. By coincidence, Mojo Mathers, who also contested Christchurch East and was placed third behind Gilmore, was returned, due to her place on the Green Party list.[5] In 2013, being the first placed candidate on the National Party list not returned, he returned to Parliament to replace Lockwood Smith, who had been appointed as High Commissioner of New Zealand to the United Kingdom.[6][7]
During the Canterbury earthquakes that devastated Christchurch East, Gilmore was involved in the cleanup and various community groups proving a number of media outlets with regular input [8] and along with other locals worked closely with assisting the Student Volunteer Army. After the leader Sam Johnston was not invited, Gilmore took him to the function as his partner where he met Hilary Clinton that made the front page of the Christchurch Press.
In May 2013 Gilmore was again in the media, this time for allegedly calling a hotel waiter a 'dickhead', at the Heritage Hanmer Springs.[9] He is also alleged to have handed over his business card and make a comment along the lines of, "Don't you know who I am? I'm an important politician!".[10] It was also claimed by one of Gilmore's fellow, Andrew Riches, that Gilmore said he'd get Prime Minister John Key's office to have the waiter fired.[11]
More than a week after the incident, Gilmore apologised, saying 'If there was a dickhead, it was me'.[12][13] However he denied having threatened to have the Prime Minister's office sack the waiter.[14]
Emails emerged in May 2013 from his time as a contractor to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in November 2012, just prior to his return to Parliament in 2013. The emails contained comments to a Treasury Manager during a professional argument over correcting Treasury errors in which Gilmore said, after noting he may be returning to Parliament as a government member, "I am sure this sort of thing will come back to haunt you if you want your career to reach its full potential."[15] The emails were described as "inappropriate" by the Ministry and the Ministry said that his contract, which was renewed twice previously for good performance was coming to a natural end. TV3 had asked Gilmore specifically, in a previously broadcast segment, whether there had been any complaints about his time at MBIE, and Gilmore had replied on camera that there was nothing that had been brought to his attention and that his direct Managers had provided excellent references for his work.[16] The CEO of MBIE subsequently provided an apology to Gilmore for misinterpreting the comments made by him to the media.[citation needed]
Gilmore announced his resignation from Parliament on 12 May 2013 and gave his valedictory speech two days later.[17][18] His membership of Parliament ceased on 27 May, and his committee memberships (Maori Affairs, and Local Government and Environment) a day later.[1] He was replaced by Claudette Hauiti.[19]
References
- ^ a b c "Aaron Gilmore". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ^ "Official Count Results -- Christchurch East". Chief Electoral Office, Wellington. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ Adam, Bennett (12 October 2010). "MP's CV error made by 'somebody else'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ www.elecltionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2011/electorate-5.html
- ^ Sachdeva, Sam (29 November 2011). "MP philosophical about chances". The Press. p. A4. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ Cairns, Lois (22 December 2012). "Aaron Gilmore eyes Christchurch role". The Press. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Aaron Gilmore back in Parliament". Fairfax. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ URL=http://://www.bloomberg.com/video/70781968-new-zealand-s-gilmore-interview-on-quakes.html
- ^ "'Do you know who I am?' - Gilmore". 3 News NZ. 2 May 2013.
- ^ "MP calls waiter 'dickhead' - report". 3 News NZ. 2 May 2013.
- ^ Hooton, Matthew (2013). "Why Aaron Gilmore should resign, but won't". National Business Review. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "Aaron Gilmore: 'If there was a dickhead, it was me'". 3 News NZ. 7 May 2013.
- ^ "'Dickhead' Gilmore now has to earn respect". Yahoo News. 7 May 2013.
- ^ "Aaron Gilmore fronts". 3 News NZ. 7 May 2013.
- ^ http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1305/S00083/mbie-releases-aaron-gilmore-emails-text-version.htm
- ^ http://www.3news.co.nz/Aaron-Gilmore-caught-out-again/tabid/1607/articleID/297341/Default.aspx
- ^ Aaron Gilmore resigns from Parliament 3news.co.nz, 12 May 2013
- ^ Bennett, Adam (12 May 2013). "Aaron Gilmore to resign". The New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Gilmore expected to give his 'version of events' in final speech". TV NZ. 13 May 2013.