Ross Robertson
{{Short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{for|the Scottish footballer|Ross Robertson (footballer)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Ross Robertson
|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|JP|size=100%}}
|image = Ross Robertson.jpg
|alt =
|caption =
|constituency_MP6 = Manukau East
|parliament6 = New Zealand
|term_start6 = 12 October 1996
|term_end6 = 20 September 2014
|predecessor6 =
|successor6 = Jenny Salesa
|constituency_MP7 = Papatoetoe
|parliament7 = New Zealand
|term_start7 = 15 August 1987
|term_end7 = 12 October 1996
|predecessor7 = Eddie Isbey
|successor7 = Constituency abolished
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|05|22|df=y}}
|birth_place = Wellington, New Zealand
|death_date =
|death_place =
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname = Harold Valentine Ross Robertson
|nationality =
|party = Labour
|spouse =
|relations =
|children =
|occupation =
|profession =
|religion =
|signature =
|signature_alt =
}}
Harold Valentine Ross Robertson {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|JP|size=85%}} (born 22 May 1949), known as Ross Robertson, is a New Zealand politician for the Labour Party. He was a Member of Parliament from {{NZ election link year|1987}} until his retirement in 2014. He also served as president of Parliamentarians for Global Action.{{cite web |title=About Us - Who's Who |url= http://www.pgaction.org/about/pga/whos-who.html |publisher=Parliamentarians for Global Action |access-date=19 September 2014}}
Early life
Robertson was born in Wellington on 22 May 1949.{{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=80}} Before entering politics, he was an industrial engineer.
Political career
=Member of Parliament=
{{NZ parlbox header|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=42nd|start={{NZ election link year|1987}}|end=1990|electorate=Papatoetoe|party=New Zealand Labour Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=43rd|start={{NZ election link year|1990}}|end=1993|electorate=Papatoetoe|party=New Zealand Labour Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=44th|start={{NZ election link year|1993}}|end=1996|electorate=Papatoetoe|party=New Zealand Labour Party}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=45th|start={{NZ election link year|1996}}|end=1999|electorate=Manukau East|party=New Zealand Labour Party|list=none}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=46th|start={{NZ election link year|1999}}|end=2002|electorate=Manukau East|party=New Zealand Labour Party|list=none}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=47th|start={{NZ election link year|2002}}|end=2005|electorate=Manukau East|party=New Zealand Labour Party|list=none}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=48th|start={{NZ election link year|2005}}|end=2008|electorate=Manukau East|party=New Zealand Labour Party|list=none}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=49th|start={{NZ election link year|2008}}|end=2011|electorate=Manukau East|party=New Zealand Labour Party|list=none}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=50th|start={{NZ election link year|2011}}|end=2014|electorate=Manukau East|party=New Zealand Labour Party|list=none}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
Robertson was first elected to Parliament in the 1987 election, representing Papatoetoe replacing the retiring Eddie Isbey.{{sfn|Norton|1988|pp=313}} He would hold the seat until the 1996 elections, when the Papatoetoe seat was abolished. That same year, Robertson was then elected to represent the replacement seat of Manukau East.{{cite web |title=Ross Robertson |url= http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/mpp/mps/former/50PlibMpsFormerRossRobertson1/robertson-ross |publisher=New Zealand Parliament |access-date=29 May 2015 |date=22 September 2014}} In November 1990 he was appointed as Labour's spokesperson for Energy and Statistics by Labour leader Mike Moore.{{cite news |work=Otago Daily Times |title=All Labour's 29 MPs get areas of responsibility |date=28 November 1990 |page=4 }}
In the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand he was an assistant speaker, able to preside when any of the other presiding officers are unavailable.
In 2006 Robertson reported to the New Zealand Police that a marijuana dealer was operating next to his electorate office in Ōtara.{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/waiting-for-justice/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501055&objectid=10376815 |title=MP reported tinnie house next door to his office |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |publisher=APN News & Media |date=10 April 2006 |access-date=18 October 2010}}
In 2013, Robertson voted against the Marriage Amendment Bill, which aimed to permit same-sex marriage in New Zealand, with fellow Labour MPs William Sio, Rino Tirikatene and Damien O'Connor.
On 6 June 2013, Robertson announced that he would retire from Parliament in order to pursue a career in local-body politics.{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10888813 |first=Kate |last=Shuttleworth |title=Labour MP Ross Robertson retires from Parliament |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=6 June 2013 |access-date=6 June 2013}}
Robertson was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order, for services as a Member of Parliament, in the 2015 New Year Honours.{{cite web | url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2015 | title=New Year honours list 2015 |date=31 December 2014 | publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | access-date=15 January 2018}}
=Local-body politics=
Robertson was elected to the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board in the 2013 Auckland elections{{Cite web|title=auckland.scoop.co.nz » Voter turnout appalling – Ross Robertson|url=http://auckland.scoop.co.nz/2013/10/voter-turnout-appalling-ross-robertson/|access-date=2020-10-19|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Local elections 2013: Full Auckland results|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/local-elections-2013-full-auckland-results/DUY3CSVDMKOMYCZDRHYKFVVFKQ/|access-date=2020-10-19|website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} and was re-elected in 2016{{cite web |url=http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/Confirmedlocalelectionresults2016.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-10-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019000339/http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/Confirmedlocalelectionresults2016.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2016 |df=dmy-all }} and 2019.{{Cite web|last=Auckland Council|title=2019 local elections final results|url=https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/about-auckland-council/elections/2019electiondocuments/2019-local-elections-results-mayor-council.pdf}}
References
- {{cite book |last = Norton |first = Clifford |title = New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946-1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science |year = 1988 |publisher = Victoria University of Wellington |location = Wellington |isbn = 0-475-11200-8}}
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|nz}}
{{s-bef | before = Eddie Isbey}}
{{s-ttl | title=Member of Parliament for Papatoetoe | years=1987–1996}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished}}
{{s-new | constituency}}
{{s-ttl | title=Member of Parliament for Manukau East | years=1996–2014}}
{{s-aft | after = Jenny Salesa}}
{{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Ross}}
Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Category:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates
Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order
Category:21st-century New Zealand politicians