Peter Hilt

{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true}}

{{NZ parlbox|term=43rd|start={{NZ election link year|1990}}|end=1993|party=New Zealand National Party|electorate=Glenfield}}

{{NZ parlbox|term=44th|start={{NZ election link year|1993}}|end=1995|party=New Zealand National Party|electorate=Glenfield}}

{{NZ parlbox allegiance|start=1995|end=1996|party=United New Zealand}}

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Hilt was born in Auckland, and attended Takapuna Grammar School. He was in the New Zealand Police for 18 years, becoming a Detective Sergeant.{{cite book |last= Temple |first= Philip |title= Temple's Guide to the 44th New Zealand Parliament |year= 1994 |publisher= McIndoe Publishers |location= Dunedin |isbn= 0-86868-159-8 |page= 66}}

He was an MP from 1990 to 1996, representing first the National Party and then United New Zealand. He was first elected to Parliament in the 1990 election, defeating Labour's Judy Keall in the Glenfield seat. In 1995, however, he left National to join the new United New Zealand Party, founded as a centrist group by seven sitting MPs.{{cite web |last1=Curtin |first1=Jennifer |last2=Miller |first2=Raymond |title=Political parties – Small parties under MMP |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34333/united-party-1995 |publisher=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=7 June 2015|date=16 November 2012}} In the 1996 general election, he was not re-elected. He stood in the {{NZ electorate link|Northcote}} electorate where he came fifth.{{cite web |url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_1996/pdf/6.1%20Northcote%2032.pdf |title=Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place – Northcote, 1996 |access-date=20 July 2013 }} He was ranked in 6th place on United's party list,{{cite web |title=Part III – Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties |url=http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_1996/pdf/3.3%20Party%20Lists%20of%20Successful%20Registered%20Parties.pdf |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=14 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208054410/http://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_1996/pdf/3.3%20Party%20Lists%20of%20Successful%20Registered%20Parties.pdf |archive-date=8 February 2013 }} but with the party receiving only 0.88% of the party vote, it did not qualify for any list MPs.{{cite web |url= http://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_1996/pdf/1.1%20Summary%20of%20overall%20results.pdf |title=Part I: Summary of Party List and Electorate Candidate Seats |publisher=New Zealand Chief Electoral Office |year=2007 |access-date=29 June 2008}}

In the 44th New Zealand Parliament, Hilt was elected Deputy Chairman of Committees on 1 March 1995 after Joy McLauchlan resigned that position on 27 February.{{Cite book|title=Hansard|publisher=New Zealand Parliament|year=1995|volume=546|pages=137}} Hilt was the last to hold this role as it was disestablished on 21 February 1996. Though he had by this time left the National Party, Hilt continued in the succeeding position of first Assistant Speaker. Until the appointment of Green MP Teanau Tuiono as third assistant speaker in 2023,{{cite news |title=Green MP Teanau Tuiono appointed Assistant Speaker |url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/301023279/green-mp-teanau-tuiono-appointed-assistant-speaker |publisher=Stuff |date=8 December 2023 |access-date=8 December 2023 }} he was the only presiding officer of the New Zealand House of Representatives since 1943 not to have been a member of either National or Labour while serving.

Hilt died on 19 April 2025, at the age of 83.{{cite news |url=https://notices.nzherald.co.nz/nz/obituaries/nzherald-nz/name/peter-hilt-obituary?id=58218029 |title=Peter HILT Obituary |publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=24 April 2025 |access-date=15 May 2023 }}

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Category:1942 births

Category:2025 deaths

Category:United New Zealand MPs

Category:New Zealand National Party MPs

Category:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates

Category:People educated at Takapuna Grammar School

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1996 New Zealand general election

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:New Zealand police officers