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John RobertsonQSO
Robertson in 2014
Mayor of Waitomo
In office 12 October 2019 – present
Preceded by	Brian Hanna
Mayor of Papakura
In office 9 October 2004 – 13 October 2007
Preceded by	David Buist
Succeeded by	Calum Penrose
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Papakura
In office 27 October 1990 – 12 October 1996
Preceded by	Merv Wellington
Succeeded by	Electorate disestablished
Personal details
Born	(1951-12-06) 6 December 1951 (age 73) Auckland, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealander
Political party	New Zealand National Party, United New Zealand

John Struan Robertson QSO (born 6 December 1951) is a New Zealand politician and company director.

Robertson was elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in 1990 as the Member of Parliament for Papakura. A centrist and originally a member of the New Zealand National Party, he changed allegiance to the United New Zealand Party in 1995. He has twice served in local government: as Papakura city mayor from 2004 to 2007 and as Waitomo district mayor since 2019.

Member of Parliament

After a career as a chartered accountant, Robertson was elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives 1990 as the Member of Parliament for Papakura. He succeeded the retiring former Minister of Education, Merv Wellington. Robertson was re-elected in the 1993 general election.

In 1995, he was one of seven centrist MPs who established United New Zealand. Robertson's Papakura electorate was disestablished before the 1996 election; he stood instead for Hunua where he finished second to National's Warren Kyd. United New Zealand did not poll high enough to be entitled to any list MPs, so Robertson left Parliament.

Local government career

Robertson was later appointed chair of Infrastructure Auckland, a council-owned organisation which ran the Ports of Auckland and owned the America's Cup village. He served in this role from 2000 to 2004.

He was elected Mayor of Papakura and served from 2004 to 2007, when he was defeated. After his election loss he became dean of business at Manukau Institute of Technology.

In August 2012, the elected councillors of Kaipara District Council were replaced with a four-member commission as a result of serious governance and financial failures. Robertson was appointed as the chair of the commission. While Local Government Minister David Carter initially said that this commission was expected to remain until October 2015, it was not removed until October 2016.

Robertson contested and won the Waitomo district mayoralty in the 2019 local elections, defeating incumbent Brian Hanna. He was re-elected in 2022.

Honours

In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, Robertson was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services and services to local body affairs.

References

1. Temple, Philip (1994). Temple's Guide to the 44th New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: McIndoe Publishers. p. 80. ISBN 0-86868-159-8.
2. "Leaders of the pack". Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
3. "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place – Hunua, 1996" (PDF). Retrieved 13 July 2013.
4. "Part III – Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
5. Orsman, Bernard (11 October 2004). "New council to abandon $1b highway". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
6. ^ "Former mayor relishes role". Stuff.co.nz. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
7. "Kaipara Council commissioners appointed". The Beehive. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
8. Gent, Greg; Auton, Leigh; Tennent, Peter (17 August 2012). "Report of the Kaipara District Council Review Team" (PDF). Beehive.govt.nz. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
9. Carter, David. "Minister for Local Government". Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
10. "Kaipara to return to a fully-elected Council". The Beehive. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
11. "Waitomo mayor wins on no rate increases for two years, but can he deliver?". Stuff. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
12. Herald, Waikato (12 October 2022). "Waitomo, Ruapehu, Ōtorohanga re-elect previous mayors". NZ Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
13. Queen's Birthday Honours List 2008. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 14 July 2013.

• 1951 births
• Living people
• Mayors of Papakura
• New Zealand National Party MPs
• United New Zealand MPs
• Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
• New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates
• Companions of the Queen's Service Order
• Unsuccessful candidates in the 1996 New Zealand general election