Glen Bennett

{{Short description|New Zealand Labour Party politician elected in 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Glen Bennett

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MP|size=100%}}

| image = Profile--glenbennett-2-390-UNC.jpg

| caption = Bennett in 2023

| birth_name = Glen Thomas Bennett

| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|45|2021|02|08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20210805_052260000/bennett-glen|title=Bennett, Glen – New Zealand Parliament|website=www.parliament.nz}}

| birth_place = Dunedin, New Zealand

| constituency_MP = Labour Party list

| term_start = 25 March 2024

| parliament = New Zealand

| predecessor = Grant Robertson{{refn|group=n|Normally, list MPs do not have individual predecessors or successors, but Robertson resigned during a sitting parliament and therefore was succeeded by Bennett.}}

| constituency_MP2 = New Plymouth

| majority2 = 2,555

| parliament2 = New Zealand

| term_start2 = 17 October 2020

| term_end2 = 14 October 2023

| predecessor2 = Jonathan Young

| successor2 = David MacLeod

| party = Labour

| otherparty =

| alma_mater =

| occupation =

| spouse = {{marriage|Jon O'Neill|2021}}

| children =

}}

Glen Thomas Bennett{{Cite web|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20201125_039660000/event|title=Event – New Zealand Parliament|website=www.parliament.nz}} (born {{birth based on age as of date|45|2021|02|08|noage=1}}) is a New Zealand politician and a member of the Labour Party. He was elected the Member of the Parliament for New Plymouth at the 2020 New Zealand general election, defeating the National candidate and incumbent Jonathan Young.{{cite news |date= 18 October 2020|title= Election 2020: Labour supporters dance the conga after dramatic takeover of New Plymouth seat|url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/123115309/election-2020-labour-supporters-dance-the-conga-after-dramatic-takeover-of-new-plymouth-seat|access-date= 17 October 2020}} He lost his seat to David MacLeod in the 2023 general election, but re-entered parliament on the list in March 2024 following the retirement of Grant Robertson. Prior to entering politics, Bennett worked in the community sector for more than 20 years.{{cite news |title= Glen Bennett|url= https://www.labour.org.nz/glenbennett|access-date= 17 October 2020}}

Early life

Bennett was born in Dunedin. His parents were officers in The Salvation Army and frequently moved around the country. He attended Dominion Road School in Auckland, Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch, and Rongotai College in Wellington. He spent two years working in television production, including such shows as Showcase, Fair Go, and McPhail and Gadsby. After witnessing poverty in Donetsk, Ukraine, on a trip with the Salvation Army in 2002, Bennett decided to foster troubled teen boys.{{cite web |url=https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/taranaki-daily-news/20080806/281809984678786 |title=Living the gospel |date=6 August 2008 |work=Taranaki Daily News |via=PressReader}}

Political career

{{NZ parlbox

|term=53rd

|start={{NZ election link year|2020}}

|end=2023

|list=72

|party=New Zealand Labour Party

|electorate={{NZ electorate link|New Plymouth}}

}}

{{NZ parlbox

|term=54th

|start=2024

|end=present

|list= 29

|party=New Zealand Labour Party

|electorate=List

}}

Bennett was a member of the New Plymouth branch of the Labour Party branch for over five years prior to his selection.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} In late 2019, Bennett ran unopposed for the Labour nomination for the New Plymouth seat,{{cite news |last1=Ockhuysen |first1=Stephanie |title=Labour Party announces new candidate for New Plymouth electorate |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/118353924/labour-party-announces-new-candidate-for-new-plymouth-electorate |access-date=12 December 2023 |work=Stuff |date=21 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107202848/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/118353924/labour-party-announces-new-candidate-for-new-plymouth-electorate |archive-date=7 November 2023}} after serving on the local electorate executive for the previous two years.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

At the 2020 New Zealand general election, New Plymouth was not tipped as a seat to flip to Labour, with the party not having held the seat since 2008. However, Bennett defeated the incumbent National Party MP Jonathan Young by a margin of 2,555 votes.{{cite web |title=New Plymouth – Official Result |url=https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020/electorate-details-29.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=12 November 2020 }}

During the 2023 New Zealand general election, Bennett was unseated by National Party candidate David MacLeod, who won by a margin of 6,991 votes.{{cite web |title=New Plymouth - Official Result |url=https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-29.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210215708/https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-29.html |archive-date=10 December 2023 |date=3 November 2023 |url-status=live}}

On 20 February 2024, Grant Robertson announced that he would be retiring from Parliament in March 2024 to assume the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago. Since Robertson was a list candidate, Bennett re-entered Parliament on the Labour Party list as next in line.{{Cite web |date=25 March 2024 |title=Declaration by Electoral Commission That Glen Thomas Bennett is Elected a Member of Parliament |url=https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2024-au1289 |access-date=26 March 2024 |website=New Zealand Gazette |language=en-NZ}} Bennett assumed the economic development and associate energy portfolios after re-entering Parliament.{{cite news |title=Grant Robertson retires from politics, appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/chris-hipkins-signals-reshuffle-this-week-wont-say-whether-grant-robertson-will-quit-this-week/YKDMX4VC25BBPNI3JHM5XVTO5I/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219235729/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/chris-hipkins-signals-reshuffle-this-week-wont-say-whether-grant-robertson-will-quit-this-week/YKDMX4VC25BBPNI3JHM5XVTO5I/ |archive-date=19 February 2024}}{{cite news |title=Labour reshuffle: Edmonds moves up as Finance spokesperson |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/509662/labour-reshuffle-edmonds-moves-up-as-finance-spokesperson |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220002535/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/509662/labour-reshuffle-edmonds-moves-up-as-finance-spokesperson |archive-date=20 February 2024}}

On 8 March 2025, Bennett gained the tourism and hospitality portfolio during a shadow cabinet reshuffle. He lost the economic development and associate energy portfolios.{{cite news |last1=Palmer |first1=Russell |title=Chris Hipkins announces new Labour 'economic team', Tangi Utikere promoted |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/544048/chris-hipkins-announces-new-labour-economic-team-tangi-utikere-promoted |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=7 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307011659/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/544048/chris-hipkins-announces-new-labour-economic-team-tangi-utikere-promoted |archive-date=7 March 2025}} On 11 March 2025, he was appointed Senior Whip of the Labour Party.{{cite web |title=Bennett, Glen |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/bennett-glen/ |access-date=11 March 2025 |website=New Zealand Parliament}}

Personal life

Bennett is openly gay, and became engaged to fiancé Jon O'Neill after a proposal on stage at a Troy Kingi concert in New Plymouth.{{Cite news |date=20 December 2019|title=Labour Party announces new candidate for New Plymouth electorate |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/118353924/labour-party-announces-new-candidate-for-new-plymouth-electorate |access-date=19 October 2020|work=Stuff }} During the 2020 general election campaign, Bennett was accosted by a member of the public about his sexuality, which led to Andrew Little's stepping in to stop the abuse.{{Cite news |date=2 October 2020|title=Election 2020: Andrew Little steps in to stop abuse of gay Labour candidate|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/122959110/election-2020-andrew-little-steps-in-to-stop-abuse-of-gay-labour-candidate|access-date=19 October 2020|work=Stuff}} After being delayed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bennett and O'Neill were married at Parliament on 8 February 2021, the day before Bennett's maiden speech.{{cite news|url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/124179657/new-plymouth-labour-mp-glen-bennett-ties-the-knot-in-parliament |title=New Plymouth Labour MP Glen Bennett ties the knot in Parliament|first=Leighton|last=Keith|work=Stuff|date=8 February 2021}}