Craig Foss
{{Short description|New Zealand investment banker and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Craig Foss
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Craig Foss (cropped).jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|7|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lower Hutt, Wellington
| residence =
| order = Minister of Civil Defence
| term_start = 8 June 2011
| term_end = 22 January 2013
| primeminister = John Key
| predecessor = John Carter
| successor = Nikki Kaye
| order2 = 10th Minister for Senior Citizens
| term_start2 = 8 June 2011
| term_end2 = 14 December 2011
| primeminister2 = John Key
| predecessor2 = John Carter
| successor2 = Jo Goodhew
| constituency_MP5 = Tukituki
| parliament5 = New Zealand
| term_start5 = 17 September 2005
| term_end5 = 23 September 2017
| predecessor5 = Rick Barker
| successor5 = Lawrence Yule
| party = National
| majority5 = 2,402 (2005){{cite web |url=http://2005.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-54.html |title=Official Count Results – Tukituki |publisher=Electoral Commission |date=1 November 2005 |accessdate=27 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307115900/http://2005.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-54.html |archivedate=7 March 2007 |df=dmy-all }}
| spouse = Kristal Foss
| children = Two daughters
| website = {{url|http://craigfoss.co.nz/}}
| footnotes =
| profession = Investment banker
}}
Craig Raymond Robert Foss (born 4 July 1963) is a New Zealand investment banker and politician. He was elected to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council in October 2019 and was previously the Member of Parliament for {{NZ electorate link|Tukituki}} from 2005 until 2017.
Early years and family
Foss was born on 4 July 1963 in Lower Hutt, the son of Raymond Foss and Rosemary Dwyer. He attended Victoria University of Wellington, completing a BCA. He worked in the banking sector. He was Chief Dealer for the Bank of New Zealand.{{cite web |title=Hon Craig Foss |url= http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/mpp/mps/current/51MP2401/foss-hon-craig |publisher=New Zealand Parliament |accessdate=1 December 2013}} Subsequently, he worked for Credit Suisse Financial Products as Interest Rate Risk Manager in London and Tokyo.
Foss married Kristal in 1993; they have two daughters together.{{Cite web|title=Foss, Craig: Address in Reply - New Zealand Parliament|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/48HansS_20051122_00001099/foss-craig-address-in-reply|access-date=2020-11-17|website=www.parliament.nz|language=en}} Foss owns a small farm and some tourist accommodation.
Political career
= Member of Parliament =
{{NZ parlbox header|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start= {{NZ election link year|2005}}
|end=2008
|term=48th
|electorate=Tukituki
|list=44
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start= {{NZ election link year|2008}}
|end=2011
|term=49th
|electorate = Tukituki
|list=33
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start= {{NZ election link year|2011}}
|end=2014
|term=50th
|electorate = Tukituki
|list=21
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
|start= {{NZ election link year|2014}}
|end=2017
|term=51st
|electorate = Tukituki
|list=17
|party=New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
Foss represented the Tukituki electorate for twelve years but was not successful in winning the electorate at his first attempt. In the {{NZ election link|2002}}, he was beaten by Labour's incumbent, Rick Barker, by 6,410 votes.{{cite web| title=Official Count Results – Tukituki | url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2002/electorate-54.html |accessdate=1 December 2013|publisher=Electoral Commission}} He was ranked 47th on the National Party list, not high enough to enter Parliament as a list MP.{{cite web |title=Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties |url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2002/e9/html/e9_part3.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |accessdate=26 August 2013}}
Foss contested Tukituki again in {{NZ election link year|2005}} and defeated Barker to enter Parliament for the first time.{{cite web| url= http://www.electionresults.org.nz/electionresults_2005/electorate-54.html |title=Official Count Results – Tukituki |date=1 October 2005 |accessdate=10 October 2014 |publisher=Chief Electoral Office}} He was returned for three further elections and his majority peaking at nearly 10,000 votes in 2011.{{cite web| url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2008/electorate-53.html |title=Official Count Results – Tukituki |date=22 November 2008 |accessdate=10 October 2014 |publisher=Chief Electoral Office}}{{cite web| url= http://electionresults.org.nz/electionresults_2011/electorate-53.html |title=Official Count Results – Tukituki |date=10 December 2011 |accessdate=10 October 2014 |publisher=Electoral Commission}}{{cite web| url= http://electionresults.org.nz/electionresults_2014/electorate-54.html |title=Official Count Results – Tukituki |date=10 October 2014 |accessdate=10 October 2014 |publisher=Electoral Commission}} Foss voted in favour of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013.{{Cite web|date=2013-04-17|title=Marriage equality bill: How MPs voted|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/editors-picks/8566347/Marriage-equality-bill-How-MPs-voted|access-date=2020-11-17|website=Stuff |language=en}}
The National Party formed a government in 2008. Foss was the chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee from 2008 until June 2011,{{Cite web|title=Foss, Craig - New Zealand Parliament|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/former-members-of-parliament/foss-craig/|access-date=2020-11-17|website=www.parliament.nz|language=en}} when he was appointed a minister outside Cabinet. He held the Civil Defence, Racing and Senior Citizens portfolios, as well as associate ministerial responsibilities in local government and commerce, replacing John Carter who left to take up a High Commissioner post in the Cook Islands.{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5108174/MP-Craig-Foss-picks-up-ministerial-roles |title=MP Craig Foss picks up ministerial roles |date=7 June 2011 |work=Stuff.co.nz |accessdate=26 September 2011}}{{Cite web|title=Craig Foss made Minister outside Cabinet|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/craig-foss-made-minister-outside-cabinet/TZWND2OCOH5B73MXVWS5K3RCEA/|access-date=2020-11-17|website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}
After the 2011 election, Foss was promoted to be a minister inside the Cabinet, as Minister of Broadcasting and Minister of Commerce.{{Cite web|title=New National-led Administration announced|url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-national-led-administration-announced|access-date=2020-11-17|website=The Beehive|language=en}} He was also an associate minister in the education and ACC portfolios. As associate minister of education, Foss had responsibility for the ill-fated rollout of Novopay.{{Cite web|title=Novopay debacle costs Craig Foss|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/novopay-debacle-costs-craig-foss/D6QQPKK4EH7QYQMKV3SKIGID5Y/|access-date=2020-11-17|website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} In January 2013 he was removed from the education portfolio and reassigned to be Minister of Consumer Affairs. In this term he also held brief acting appointments as Minister for Climate Change Issues, after the 2012 resignation of Nick Smith,{{Cite web|title=Craig Foss picks up climate change portfolio|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/craig-foss-picks-up-climate-change-portfolio/GLFKOW6CAT4KZZKNLIDNNIZ6CU/|access-date=2020-11-17|website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} and as Minister for ACC, after the 2014 resignation of Judith Collins.{{Cite web|last=Scott|first=Jason|date=2014-08-30|title=New Zealand minister quits over misconduct allegation three weeks before election|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/new-zealand-minister-quits-over-misconduct-allegation-three-weeks-before-election-20140830-10afcc.html|access-date=2020-11-17|website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}
National was elected for a third term in 2014, and Foss was appointed Minister for Small Business, Minister of Statistics, Minister of Veterans' Affairs, Associate Minister of Immigration, and Associate Minister of Transport, but no longer served in the Cabinet.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2014|title=Ministerial list for announcement|url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/New-Ministerial-List.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202093453/https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/New-Ministerial-List.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2019 |access-date=|website=The Beehive}} On 14 December 2016, following a change to the National Party leadership, Foss announced that he would retire from politics at the 2017 general election.{{cite web|date=14 December 2016|title=National MP Craig Foss quits politics|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11766805|accessdate=27 September 2017|work=The New Zealand Herald}} He relinquished his ministerial roles on 20 December 2016. The Tukituki electorate was won at the election by Lawrence Yule, who had succeeded Foss as the National Party's candidate.
= Local government =
Foss was elected to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council in the 2019 New Zealand local elections, alongside his former parliamentary rival Rick Barker.{{Cite web|title=Former MP Craig Foss wins seat on regional council|url=https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/news/1044|access-date=2020-11-17|website=cdn.hbapp.co.nz|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Hawke's Bay election results: The winners and losers|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/hawkes-bay-election-results-the-winners-and-losers/5CI65RVDN4XG5DWSW2UN4WGWDY/|access-date=2020-11-17|website=The New Zealand Herald |date=13 October 2019 |language=en-NZ}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.craigfoss.co.nz/ Craig Foss MP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521051912/http://craigfoss.co.nz/ |date=21 May 2013 }} official site
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140805163401/https://www.national.org.nz/team/mps/detail/craig.foss Profile] at National party
{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|Politics|New Zealand}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par | nz}}
{{s-bef | before=Rick Barker}}
{{s-ttl | title=Member of Parliament for Tukituki|years=2005–2017}}
{{s-aft | after = Lawrence Yule}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before = John Carter}}
{{s-ttl | title = Minister for Senior Citizens |years=2011}}
{{s-aft | after = Jo Goodhew}}
|-
{{S-bef | before = Simon Power}}
{{S-ttl | title = Minister of Commerce |years=2011–2014}}
{{s-aft | after = Paul Goldsmith}}
{{end}}
{{Fifth National Government of New Zealand}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foss, Craig}}
Category:New Zealand National Party MPs
Category:People from Lower Hutt
Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni
Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 2002 New Zealand general election
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives