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Paul Quinn (New Zealand politician)

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Paul Quinn
Birth nameBernard Paul Quinn
Occupation(s)Businessman/Director, Member of Parliament
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose Forward
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Marist St Pats, Wellington ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1976–1983 Wellington ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1977–1982 New Zealand Māori
Coaching career
Years Team
1987 Texas Rugby Union

Bernard "Paul" Quinn is a New Zealand rugby union player and politician and a member of the National Party. He was elected into the 49th New Zealand Parliament in 2008 by way of the party list and served for one term until 2011. In 2013, he had the option of returning to Parliament following the resignation of MP Jackie Blue as he was the highest ranked person on the party list, but he declined the opportunity, instead making way for Paul Foster-Bell.[1]

Early life

Quinn has connections to the Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Awa iwi and worked as a manager in the Department of Maori Affairs (now Te Puni Kōkiri) between 1979 and 1984.[2]

Quinn is director and sole owner of "MOCOM LIMITED"[3] (formerly called "M COMMERCE LIMITED"), was a director of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences from 1992–1998[4] and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

Rugby career

Quinn played Rugby Union for the Wellington Rugby Football Union 1976–1983 (Captain 1981–1983) and for the New Zealand Māori rugby union team 1977–1982 (Captain 1980–1982). He was the Head Coach for the Texas Rugby Union in 1987. He is a former director of the New Zealand Rugby Union since April 2002.[2]

He also served as chairman of the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board.[5]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2008–2011 49th List 48 National

Quinn stood for the New Zealand National Party in the Hutt South electorate at the 2008 general election and was also ranked 49 on the party's list. Quinn finished second in Hutt South to Trevor Mallard but was elected from the party list.[6]

In 2010 Quinn's Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill was drawn from the member's ballot.[7] The Bill removed voting rights for prisoners, and was declared to be inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.[8] The bill was passed into law in December 2010.[9]

At the 2011 general election, Quinn again finished second in Hutt South and his party ranking of 55 was too low to be re-elected.[10]

During his time in Parliament, Quinn served on the Maori Affairs Committee (9 December 2008 – 20 October 2011), Justice and Electoral Committee (9 December 2008 – 20 October 2011) and Electoral Legislation Committee (31 March 2010 – 20 October 2011).[2]

Quinn had the opportunity to return to Parliament in mid–2013, following the resignation of MP Jackie Blue, given that he was the highest ranked person on National's party list,[11] but he declined the opportunity to return as he had "moved on".[12] Instead diplomat Paul Foster-Bell took the role.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Diplomat to become new National MP". 3 News. 24 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Paul Quinn". Parliament of New Zealand. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  3. ^ "MoCom Limited". Coys. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  4. ^ "'QUINN, Bernard Paul' as director of New Zealand companies". Coys. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  5. ^ Brenton Vannisseroy Maori sides ‘not racist’ Te Waha Nui, 1 September 2006
  6. ^ "Official Count Results – Hutt South". New Zealand Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill". Parliament of New Zealand. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Report of the Attorney-General under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 on the Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill" (PDF). Parliament of New Zealand. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  9. ^ "Bill passes banning prisoners from voting". 3 News. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  10. ^ "Official Count Results – Hutt South". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  11. ^ "Blue quits Beehive for commissioner's job". 3 News NZ. 16 April 2013.
  12. ^ Former MP rules out return to Parliament New Zealand Herald, 22 April 2013