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Louise Upston

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The Honourable
Louise Upston
MP
Upston in 2023
28th Minister for Social Development and Employment
Incumbent
Assumed office
27 November 2023
Prime MinisterChristopher Luxon
Preceded byCarmel Sepuloni
12th Minister of Corrections
In office
20 December 2016 – 26 October 2017
Prime MinisterBill English
Preceded byJudith Collins
Succeeded byKelvin Davis
14th Minister for Land Information
In office
6 October 2014 – 20 December 2016
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Bill English
Preceded byMichael Woodhouse
Succeeded byMark Mitchell
13th Minister for Women
In office
8 October 2014 – 20 December 2016
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Bill English
Preceded byJo Goodhew
Succeeded byPaula Bennett
Senior Government Whip
In office
29 January 2013 – 7 October 2014
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byMichael Woodhouse
Succeeded byTim Macindoe
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Taupō
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 November 2008
Preceded byMark Burton
Personal details
Born
Louise Claire McGill

(1971-03-14) 14 March 1971 (age 53)[1]
North Shore, New Zealand
Political partyNational
Children3
Websitewww.louiseupston.co.nz

Louise Claire Upston MP (née McGill, born 14 March 1971) is a New Zealand politician. She was elected as a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Taupō, representing the National Party, in the 2008 general election.

She was Minister for Women and Minister of Corrections in the Fifth National Government. She currently serves as the Minister for Social Development and Employment.

Early life

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Louise McGill was born in North Shore to parents Ian and Norma McGill. The youngest of four children, she grew up in East Coast Bays.[2] She attended Rangitoto College, from which she graduated in 1988, and where she was friends with Amy Adams.[3] Since before the age of ten, she had wanted to become a member of parliament and intended to become a lawyer to further her political ambitions.[4][5]

McGill began law school but did not achieve the minimum grades to enter the second year.[5] When her mother died, she dropped out of university at the age of 19 and instead founded a management consultancy firm, McGill Manning. The firm provided event and project management services and its clients included Air New Zealand, Russell McVeagh, and Datacom Group.[5] She then studied at the Waikato Management School and graduated with a Master of Business Administration.[6]

In the 1990s, McGill became a single mother to her first child. She later described this experience as "the hardest time of my life."[5][7] She later married Craig Upston, with whom she had two more children. They separated in 2012. As of 2015, she had a new partner called Hamish. [2][5] Upston lives in Karapiro.[8]

Member of Parliament

[edit]
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2008–2011 49th Taupō 53 National
2011–2014 50th Taupō 44 National
2014–2017 51st Taupō 27 National
2017–2020 52nd Taupō 19 National
2020–2023 53rd Taupō 9 National
2023–present 54th Taupō 6 National

Early years, 2008–2014

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Upston unsuccessfully sought a National Party candidacy in 2005.[5] She was selected as the party's Taupō electorate candidate in 2008 where she unseated Mark Burton, a Labour cabinet minister who had represented the area for 15 years.[9][10]

Upston entered parliament at the beginning of the Fifth National Government. In her first term, Upston was appointed to the local government and environment committee, the government administration committee, and the education and science committee.[11] She gave her maiden speech on 16 December 2008, where she stated her priorities were education and "making New Zealand safe again."[12] She received attention in the media for her comments on harsher sentences and sloganised approach to crime: "The police are good. The criminals are bad. It's that simple."[13] Eventually she would soften her views and state her support for investments in prisoner rehabilitation.[14]

During the 2011 New Zealand general election, Upston retained Taupō by a margin of 14,115 votes, defeating Labour candidate Frances Campbell.[15]

In her second term, Upston was appointed the government's junior whip.[16] Following the February 2013 Cabinet reshuffle, she became chief whip.[17] She was also a member of the Māori affairs committee and the local government and environment committee.[11]

Minister in Fifth National Government, 2014–2017

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During the 2014 New Zealand general election, Upston retained Taupō by a margin of 15,406 votes, defeating Labour candidate Jamie Strange.[18] Upston was promoted into the executive after the 2014 election, as minister outside of Cabinet. She was Minister for Land Information, Minister for Women, Associate Minister for Local Government, and Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment from October 2014 until December 2016. At the same time, she was a member of the justice and electoral select committee.[11]

As Minister for Women, Upston addressed the 59th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on 11 March 2015. She used the speech to set out her goals in the portfolio, including supporting women in the workplace and preventing violence against women.[19] The following month, she attracted criticism for refusing to comment on women's rights in the workplace after it was revealed Prime Minister John Key was forced to apologise to a Parnell cafe worker for repeatedly pulling her hair.[20] She attracted further scrutiny in the portfolio for rejecting calls to remove GST on menstrual products and for refusing to comment on an incident involving the mistreatment of a stripper by Chiefs ruby players.[21]

As Minister for Land Information, Upston oversaw the correction of several Māori placenames, including Whanganui and Waiotahe.[22][23] She also introduced replacement legislation for the Land Transfer Act 1952.[24] In the local government portfolio, she oversaw but later postponed a trial of online voting in the 2016 local elections.[25][26][27] She was also involved in governance reviews and the appointment of commissioners at Kaipara District Council [28] and Canterbury Regional Council.[29][30][31] In the tertiary education, skills and employment portfolio, she had responsibility for industry training, private training establishments, and adult and community education.[32]

Upston was promoted into Cabinet by new prime minister Bill English in December 2016. She became Minister of Corrections and an associate minister for primary industries (with responsibility for forestry),[33] education, and tertiary education, skills and employment.[34] She held these positions until the government changed in October 2017. As corrections minister, Upston announced that all corrections officers would be required to carry pepper spray, launched mental health pilot programmes for prisoners,[35] and launched a new strategy to manage women offenders.[36]

Opposition years, 2017–2023

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National lost the 2017 and 2020 elections. Upston became a senior member in the successive National shadow cabinets, serving as social development spokesperson under each of Bill English, Simon Bridges, Todd Muller, Judith Collins, and Christopher Luxon, and sitting on the social services and community committee. She was also spokesperson for land information, social investment and whānau ora (2020–2021), employment (2020–2023), regional economic development (2021), child poverty reduction (2021–2023), and family violence prevention (2023).[11] During the 2017 New Zealand general election, Upston retained Taupō by a margin of 14,335 votes, defeating Labour candidate Ala' Al-Bustanji.[37]

In April 2019, Upston's private member's bill, the Rights for Victims of Insane Offenders Bill, was drawn from the ballot and introduced to Parliament. Upston began working on the bill in 2010 after being contacted by a constituent whose brother was murdered and whose killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity.[38][39] The bill proposed that, even if they unable to be found guilty of a crime, the court may find an offender has been proven to have acted grievously.[40] Although the bill received unanimous support from all parties, it was sent back to the justice committee for further consideration after the Chief Justice raised concerns. The concerns were ultimately addressed and the bill passed unanimously in December 2021.[38][40]

During the 2020 New Zealand general election, Upston retained Taupō by a margin of 5,119 votes, defeating Labour candidate Ala' Al-Bustanji.[41]

As social development spokesperson, Upston promoted National's policy of harsher penalties for unemployed people on the jobseeker benefit including a mandatory reapplications every six months, increased use of stand-downs from receiving welfare, and greater direct management of beneficiaries' incomes by the Ministry of Social Development.[42] She claimed that the 2019 report of the Labour Government's Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) provided evidence that supported sanctions as being "effective in encouraging movement from benefits to work;" this was rejected by WEAG.[43]

Minister in Sixth National Government, 2023–present

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During the 2023 election, Upston retained the Taupō electorate by a margin of 16,505 votes.[44]

In late November 2023, Upston was appointed as Minister of Social Development and Employment, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction.[11][45]

In mid February 2024, Upston as Social Development Minister announced that the Government would ramp up benefit sanctions from June 2024 including "work check-ins" for jobseekers who have been on a benefit for at least six months. These check-ins would not apply to those on a sole parent or supported living benefits.[46] Following a Child Poverty Action Group report about high schoolers working long part-time jobs that affected their schooling, Upston attributed the problem to the high cost of living. While ruling out minimum wage increases and student allowances for high schoolers, Upston advocated tax cuts, rebates and helping their parents find work as a means of improving school attendance and educational performance.[47]

In early April 2024, Upston confirmed that the Government and the University of Auckland were exploring options to continue funding the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study.[48] In mid-September 2024, Upston confirmed that the Government would be investing NZ$16.8 million into the longitudinal study over the next four years.[49]

On 24 April, Upston assumed Penny Simmonds' Disability Issues portfolio following a cabinet reshuffle. The Ministry for Disabled People falls under the oversight of the Ministry of Social Development, which Upston heads.[50]

On 24 July, Upston's absence from a Parliamentary sitting led to the withdrawal of the Government's Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill. The Bill was scheduled to have its first debate that morning. Assistant Speaker Maureen Pugh withdrew the bill after Melissa Lee, who was the duty minister in the House of Representatives, declined to speak and motion that the bill be read for the first time. Following the incident, Upston confirmed that the Regulatory Systems (Social Security) Amendment Bill would be taken back to the Business select committee and reintroduced at a later stage.[51]

On 12 August 2024, Upston confirmed the introduction of a traffic light system for the Jobseeker Support benefit, effective immediately, with legislation to expand the system to be introduced in November and expected to come into force in early 2025. Key changes have included extending the benefit sanctions period from one year to two years, requiring Jobseeker beneficiaries to apply every six months, requiring beneficiaries with work obligations to create a jobseeker profile, creating a special payment card for accessing a limited ranges of products and services and new community work sanctions. Upston also promised that the rule of preventing sanctions from cutting benefit pay by more than 50 per cent of job seekers who had children would remain in place.[52]

On 15 August, Upston announced that Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People would be restructured as a policy and advisory department and that its support service delivery functions would be assumed by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).[53] Disabled Persons Assembly chief executive and former Green Party MP Mojo Mathers, disability advocate Blake Forbes-Gentle, CCS Disability Action national policy analyst Phoebe Eden-Mann and Green Party disability spokesperson Kahurangi Carter criticised the government decision, saying that it would adversely affect the ability of disabled people to access support services due to MSD's poor track record of serving the disabled community.[54]

On 29 August, Upston announced that the Government would raise fines for people illegally parking in disabled car parks from NZ$150 to NZ$750 effective 1 October 2024.[55]

Political and social views

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Upston has a conservative voting record on conscience issues. In 2012, she voted to raise the purchase age of alcohol to 20.[56] She voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill in 2013.[57] She voted against the Abortion Legislation Bill in 2019 and 2020.[58] She voted against the End of Life Choice Bill in 2017 and 2019, including voting against a proposal to hold a referendum on the issue.[59] She was one of only seven MPs to vote against the second reading of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022, but voting in favour of it at its third and final reading.[60][61] After that vote, she described herself as a "proud supporter of the LGBTQI+ community."[62]

In November 2014, Upston stated she is not a feminist when she sang praises of beauty pageants.[63][64]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Upston, Louise. "Video Update – 15 March 2011". louiseupston.co.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Louise Upston's maiden speech". Waikato Times. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  3. ^ Vance, Andrea (22 July 2012). "Amy not afraid to speak her mind". Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  4. ^ McKenzie-Minifie, Martha (14 October 2008). "National's big push paints Rotorua blue". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Lang, Sarah (14 August 2015). "Politically correct". Now To Love. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Louise Upston (MBA)". University of Waikato. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  7. ^ McCallum, Hanna (2 May 2023). "'Bloody hard': Tears shed as landmark report reveals stark reality of being a single parent". Stuff. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Hon Louise Upston". New Zealand National Party. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  9. ^ "MP keen to get cracking". Waikato Times. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Official Count Results – Taupō". Chief Electoral Office. 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Upston, Louise - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Maiden Statements - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Support the police, says Taupo's new MP". Stuff. New Zealand Press Association. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  14. ^ Jones, Nicholas (20 December 2016). "Corrections Minister: my views have changed". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Official Count Results – Taupō". Electoral Commission. 10 December 2011. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  16. ^ Malcolm, Rebecca (21 December 2011). "Louise Upston appointed junior whip". The Daily Post. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  17. ^ "National names three new party whips". RNZ. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Official Count Results – Taupō". Electoral Commission. 10 October 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  19. ^ "National Statement – 59th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  20. ^ Kirk, Stacey (24 April 2015). "Female ministers close ranks around ponytail-pulling Prime Minister". Stuff. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  21. ^ "Heavily criticised Louise Upston loses women's affairs portfolio to new minister Paula Bennett". 1News. 18 December 2016. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Bay of Plenty place names corrected". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  23. ^ "'H' to be added to Wanganui District name". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Land Transfer Bill passes first reading". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Work to continue on trialling online voting". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Online voting trial requirements set". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Further work before online voting proceeds". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Kaipara District Council Commissioners reappointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  29. ^ "Timeline set for ECAN review". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Environment Canterbury transition plan announced". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  31. ^ "ECan Bill ensures smooth transition for Canterbury". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  32. ^ "Schedule of Responsibilities Delegated to Associate Ministers | DPMC". Department for the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  33. ^ "Schedule of Responsibilities Delegated to Associate Ministers | DPMC". 8 April 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Bridges and Adams on the rise in Cabinet". NZ Herald. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  35. ^ "New Corrections mental health initiatives begin". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  36. ^ "New strategy for managing women offenders". The Beehive. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  37. ^ "Taupō – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  38. ^ a b "Lento, presto, repeat: Louise Upston's member's bill". RNZ. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  39. ^ "Loophole on mental offender release recognised". NZ Herald. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  40. ^ a b "Rights for Victims of Insane Offenders Bill". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  41. ^ "Taupō – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  42. ^ "National plans crackdown on people on benefits". Otago Daily Times Online News. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  43. ^ "Welfare experts group members criticise National's beneficiary policy". Radio New Zealand. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  44. ^ "Taupō - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  45. ^ Palmer, Russell (24 November 2023). "Cabinet lineup for new government unveiled - who gets what?". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  46. ^ "Benefit sanctions to ramp up with 'work check-ins' – Minister Louise Upston". Radio New Zealand. 19 February 2024. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  47. ^ "Fixing cost-of-living crisis will help children out of poverty - Minister Louise Upston". Radio New Zealand. 15 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  48. ^ Gerritsen, John (5 April 2024). "Government funding ends for 15-year long Growing Up in New Zealand project". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  49. ^ Upston, Louise (26 September 2024). "More funding for Growing Up in New Zealand study". Beehive.govt.nz. New Zealand Government. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  50. ^ "Media Minister Melissa Lee demoted from Cabinet, Penny Simmonds stripped of portfolio". Radio New Zealand. 24 April 2024. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  51. ^ Coughlan, Thomas (24 July 2024). "Bill dumped after chaos in Parliament sees Government caught without minister". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  52. ^ "Watch: Government further increases sanctions for beneficiaries". 12 August 2024. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  53. ^ Palmer, Russell (15 August 2024). "Watch: Disability services to shift from Whaikaha to MSD after budget". RNZ. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  54. ^ Desmarais, Felix (15 August 2024). "Disability community 'shell-shocked' by ministry changes". 1News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  55. ^ Ensor, Jamie (29 August 2024). "Disability parking fines: Government to 'get tough' on rule-breakers, hikes fine by 400%". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  56. ^ Hartevelt, John (30 August 2012). "No age rise for alcohol sales". Stuff. Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  57. ^ Singh, Harkanwal; Ball, Andy (17 April 2013). "Marriage equality bill – How MPs voted". Stuff. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  58. ^ "MPs open up, fight back tears during abortion debate". NZ Herald. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  59. ^ "MPs open up, fight back tears during abortion debate". NZ Herald. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  60. ^ Whyte, Anna (9 February 2022). "Bill to ban conversion practices passes second hurdle". 1News. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  61. ^ "Politicians react as bill to ban conversion therapy passes". Radio New Zealand. 15 February 2022. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  62. ^ "Media Statement - Louise Upston MP: Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill". National Party. 21 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  63. ^ O'Neil, Andrea (30 November 2014). "Beauty pageants great for women – minister". Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  64. ^ A'Court, Michele (3 December 2014). "Is the Pope a Catholic?". The Press. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
[edit]
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Taupō
2008–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Land Information
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
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