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John Luxton

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New Zealand politician (1946–2021)

The HonourableJohn LuxtonCNZM QSO
Luxton in 2017
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Matamata
In office
1987–1996
Preceded byJack Luxton
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Karapiro
In office
1996–1999
Succeeded byLindsay Tisch
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for National Party List
In office
1999–2002
Personal details
BornMurray John Finlay Luxton
(1946-09-14)14 September 1946
Morrinsville, New Zealand
Died16 November 2021(2021-11-16) (aged 75)
Wellington
Political partyNational
RelationsJack Luxton (father)
Alma materMassey University

Murray John Finlay Luxton CNZM QSO (14 September 1946 – 16 November 2021) was a New Zealand National Party politician, serving as a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2002. From 2008 to 2015, he was the Chairman of DairyNZ, the organisation that represents all New Zealand dairy farmers. He was co-chair of the Waikato River Authority, a Crown/iwi co-governance organisation established through Treaty of Waitangi settlement legislation to clean up the Waikato River.

Early life and family

Born in Morrinsville on 14 September 1946, Luxton was educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Massey University (BAgSc, DipAgSc, DipBusSc, MMgt). His father, Jack Luxton, was a National Party MP from 1966 to 1987.

After an initial role as a Ministry of Agriculture dairy specialist, Luxton and his late wife Merryl went dairy farming. Periods of project consulting in Africa, Asia and the Pacific were interspersed with dairy farming in New Zealand over the following decade.

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1987–1990 42nd Matamata National
1990–1993 43rd Matamata National
1993–1996 44th Matamata National
1996–1999 45th Karapiro 33 National
1999–2002 46th List 14 National

Luxton was first elected to Parliament in the 1987 election as the MP for Matamata. He replaced his father, Jack Luxton, who held the Piako electorate then Matamata for 21 years from 1966, and had been Chairman of Committees in Parliament.

Luxton held Matamata until the 1996 election, when a boundary change caused him to stand in the seat of Karapiro. In the 1999 election, he opted to become a list MP, leaving the Karapiro seat to newcomer Lindsay Tisch.

Minister

The National Party won the 1990 election, and Jim Bolger became Prime Minister, Luxton was appointed to Cabinet. His ministerial roles have included Minister of Energy, Minister of Housing, Minister of Māori Affairs, Minister of Police, Minister of Commerce, Minister of Industry, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Lands, Minister of Customs and Minister of Agriculture. He was also an Associate Minister of Education and of Overseas Trade. Luxton was regarded by many as one of the more economically liberal members of the National Party.

After politics

Luxton did not seek re-election in the 2002 election. He was one of the founders of the Open Country Cheese Company and the Kaimai Cheese Company, located near Matamata, in the Waikato, along with former colleague Wyatt Creech.

He held a number of directorships in the agribusiness sector including the Tatua Coop Dairy Company, having been a previous Chairman, and Wallace Corporation, and has farming interests. He was chair of DairyNZ, the New Zealand Dairy Industry Good organisation which represents all New Zealand dairy farmers, between 2008 and 2015. He was married to Mary Scholtens, QC.

He was for a short period (2005–06) a director of listed investment and property company Blue Chip, Luxton resigned from that Board. Luxton was appointed a Co-Chair of the Waikato River Authority and was a member of the New Zealand Constitutional Advisory Panel. He also sat on the boards of the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company and Landcare Research, one of the Crown Research Institutes. He was chair of the Asia NZ Foundation.

Luxton died in Wellington on 16 November 2021, after a long illness.

Honours

In the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours, Luxton was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services. He was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the dairy industry, in the 2017 New Year Honours. Awarded Massey University's Sir Geoffrey Peren Medal 2013, Awarded D.Sc. by Lincoln University 2016.

See also

References

  1. Temple, Philip (1994). Temple's Guide to the 44th New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: McIndoe Publishers. p. 71. ISBN 0-86868-159-8.
  2. ^ "Dairy industry champion and former National Cabinet minister John Luxton dies". The New Zealand Herald. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  3. "New Year honours 2017 – citations for Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  4. asianz.org.nz
  5. "Queen's Birthday honours list 2003". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 June 2003. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  6. "New Year honours list 2017". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  7. Zealand, Massey University, New. "Massey University of New Zealand - Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa - Massey University". www.massey.ac.nz.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. "Home :: Lincoln University".
  • 1990 Parliamentary Candidates for the New Zealand National Party by John Stringer p. 42 (New Zealand National Party, 1990)
  • Hon John Luxton at executive.govt.nz
Political offices
Preceded byJohn Banks Minister of Police
1994–1996 		Succeeded byJack Elder
Preceded byDenis Marshall Minister for Land Information
1996–1999 		Succeeded byPaul Swain
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded byJack Luxton Member of Parliament for Matamata
1987–1996 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Karapiro
1996–1999 		Succeeded byLindsay Tisch
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