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Revision as of 02:23, 8 December 2006 by 222.155.245.39 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| The Rt. Hon. Helen Clark | |
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| 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand "Helen Clark" | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 5, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Jenny Shipley |
| Succeeded by | == Early life==
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Clark worked as a junior lecturer in ] at the University of Auckland from 1973 to 1975, studied abroad on a University Grants Committee post-graduate scholarship in 1976, and then lectured in political studies at Auckland while undertaking her PhD (which she never completed) from 1977 until her election to Parliament in 1981.
She married sociologist Peter Davis, her partner of five years at that time, shortly before that election (under pressure from some members of the New Zealand Labour Party to marry despite her own feelings about marriage - her biography reports that she cried throughout the ceremony, although she attributes that to a headache) . Dr Davis currently works as a professor in medical sociology and heads the Sociology Department at the University of Auckland.
As a teenager Clark protested against the Vietnam War and campaigned against foreign military bases in New Zealand. She has declared herself agnostic.
Involvement in the Labour Party
Clark has worked actively in the New Zealand Labour Party for most of her life. She served as a member of the party's New Zealand executive from 1978 until September 1988 and again from April 1989. She was chair of the University of Auckland Princes Street branch of the Party during her studies, she held the positions of president of the Labour Youth Council, executive member of the Party's Auckland Regional Council, secretary of the Labour Women's Council and member of the Policy Council.
She represented the New Zealand Labour Party at the congresses of the Socialist International and of the Socialist International Women in 1976, 1978, 1983 and 1986, at an Asia-Pacific Socialist Organisation Conference held in Sydney in 1981 and at the Socialist International Party Leaders' Meeting in Sydney in 1991.
Member of Parliament
Helen Clark first gained election to the New Zealand House of Representatives in the 1981 general election as one of four women who entered Parliament on that occasion. In winning the Mount Albert electorate in Auckland, she became only the second woman elected to represent an Auckland electorate, and the seventeenth woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament. During her first term (1981 - 1984), she became a member of the Statutes Revision Committee. In her second term (1984 - 1987), she chaired the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Select Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control, both of which combined with the Defence Select Committee in 1985 togrowth has come about as the result of wider economic factors, and that increases in the sickness benefit have caused (at least in part) the decrease in unemployment. On the other hand, total beneficiary numbers (a measurement that includes both unemployment- and sickness-beneficiaries) have shrunk under Helen Clark's leadership. Other economic concerns for Clark's government include a persistently high current-account deficit and an unofficial poverty-rate of about twenty percent.
Stable government
Even though some commentators saw stable government within the relatively new MMP electoral system as unlikely, Clark's supporters credit her with maintaining two terms of stable MMP government, as well as being able to form the current government given the close election result. In 2005, Forbes ranked Clark as number 24 of "The 100 Most Powerful Women" in the world, and then ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND rk_EXX3.html higher at number 20 in 2006. Clark has actively promoted New Zealand arts, and this has partially been responsible for the growth in New Zealand music being played on radio.
Crime rate
Police statistics report a drop in the rate of recorded offences by population over the period of Clark's leadership, which continued the trend shown in years prior to her leadership. This corresponds with a survey of victims of crime, which reported very little change in the number of victims of crime between 1995 and 2001, despite a slight increase in population. Crime figures for 2005/2006 showed an increase in a recorded crime over the previous financial year, but rates remain lower than 1999.
Foreign policy
Main article: Foreign relations of New Zealand
New Zealand has, during Clark's terms of office, pursued what she and her supporters call an "independent" foreign policy. New Zealand retains a nuclear-free zone status, a stance also taken by the opposition National party, (possibly at the cost of a free trade agreement with the USA), and refused to participate in the Iraq invasion without UN sanction.
In March 2003, regarding the U.S. led coalition actions in the Iraq War, Clark told the newspaper Sunday Star Times that, "I don't think that September 11 under a Gore presidency would have had this consequence for Iraq." She later sent a letter to Washington apologising for any offence that her comment may have caused.
Helen Clark IS GAYhas always enjoyed very good relations with China. In a report in the "People's Daily", Chinese President Jiang Zemin indeGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYed referred to her as an "old friend". He hoped to "establish bilateral long-term and stable overall cooperative relations with a healthy development geared to the 21st century", and "broad prospects for bilateral economic cooperation". Clark had strongly supported China's entry into the WTO.
Controversies
In 2000 Labour MP Chris Carter investigated the background of one of Clark's Cabinet colleagues, Māori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels. During the investigation, Clark referred to John Yelash as a murderer. However Yelash had been convicted of manslaughter. Yelash sued Clark for defamation, resulting in an out-of-court settlement. In a press release, the then ACT leader Richard Prebble assessed the settlement as $20,000 for defamation and $35,000 to keep it confidential.
Clark signed a painting for a charity auction that someone else had painted. After it emerged that she had not painted it, police found evidence for a prima facie case of forgery, but decided that it was not in the public interest to prosecute. A staff member bought the painting back and destroyed it.
In 2000, the then Police Commissioner, Peter Doone, resigned after the Sunday Star-Times alleged he had prevented the breath testing of his partner Robyn, who was driving the car they were in, by telling the officer "that won't be necessary". Both Doone and the officer involved denied this happened. Doone sued the NCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSSunday Star-Times for defamation in 2005 but the paper revealed they had checked the story with Clark. She confirmed that this was the case, but denied that she was trying to get Doone to resign and defended being the source as "by definition I cannot leak". Helen Clark responded by saying that National's friends were funding Mr Doone's defamation suit. Opinion on the significance of this was varied.
In 2005 a motorcade involving Police, Diplomatic Protection Squad, and Ministerial Services staff reached speeds of up to 172 Km/h when taking Clark and Cabinet Minister Jim Sutton from Waimate to Christchurch Airport so she could attend a rugby match in Wellington. The drivers involved were subsequently convicted on driving offences, but these convictions were quashed on appeal in December 2005 and August 2006. Clark said that she was busy working in the back seat and had no influence or role in the decision to speed and did not realise the speed of the vehicle. However, one of the defendants testified that Clark was looking around and enjoying the trip.
Clark was criticised for some of Labour's election campaign spending during the 2005 election campaign. The Labour Party, like all parties represented in Parliament, was entitled to spend some public money, but the Auditor-General found Labour, and all but one other party, had spent more than they were entitled to. In Labour's case, $768,000 was the sum nominated as not properly authorised. Despite disagreeing with the Auditor-General's conclusion, Clark announced Labour would refund the public purse. See 2005 New Zealand election funding controversy.
Some criticism has arisen that Clark supported some of her ministers (notably David Benson-Pope and Taito Phillip Field) when they faced allegations of improper behaviour, but gave less support to others such as Lianne Dalziel.
Honours
Helen Clark was awarded the Star of the Solomon Islands in 2005 in recognition of New Zealand's role in restoring law and order in the Solomon Islands . This award allows her to use the post nominal letters SSI .
==Biography==NCEA SUCKS
- Brian Edwards: Helen: Portrait of A Prime Minister: Auckland: Exisle Publishing: 2001: ISBN 0-908988-20-6
References
- Edwards, Brian (2001). "Campaign '81". Helen, Portrait of a Prime Minister. pp. 144–150. ISBN 0-908988-20-6.
- Template:Cite NEW ZEALAND SUCKSweb
- "Crime Statistics for calendar year ending 31 December 2005". Retrieved 2006-11-25.
- "New Zealand National Survey of Crime Victims 2001 - Summary". Retrieved 2006-11-25.
- "Crime Statistics for fiscal year ending 30 June 2006". Retrieved 2006-10-02.
- "Questions for Oral Answer, Wednesday, 9 April 2003". Retrieved 2006-05-11.
- "President Jiang Meets New Zealand PM". Retrieved 2006-05-11.
- "Breach Of Privilege – Hon Margaret Wilson". Retrieved 2006-05-11.
- "Research Note no.9 2002-03". Retrieved 2006-05-11.
- "PM confirmed story, says editor". Retrieved 2006-05-11.
- "The PM'S slow leak". Retrieved 2006-05-11.
- "Motorcade police officers' convictions quashed". Retrieved 2006-08-31.
- "PM 'enjoyed' convoy ride". Retrieved 2006-05-11.
- Website of the NZ government: PM awarded the Star of the Solomon Islands. Retrieved on 2006-09-2NCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSNCEA SUCKSv4
- Medals of the World - Solomon Islands: Star of the Solomon Islands. Retrieved on 2006-09-24
See also
External links
- Prime Minister of New Zealand
- New Zealand Labour Party
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
Political offices
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded byMike Moore | Leader of the Opposition 1993 – 1999 |
Succeeded byJenny Shipley |
| Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party 1993 – present |
Incumbent | |
| Preceded byJenny Shipley | Prime Minister of New Zealand 1999 – present | |
| Leaders of political parties in the New Zealand Parliament | |
|---|---|
- Prime Ministers of New Zealand
- Current national leaders
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- New Zealand Labour Party MPs
- New Zealand politicians
- Leaders of political parties
- Current female heads of government
- New Zealand feminists
- New Zealand agnostics
- Republicanism in New Zealand
- 1950 births
- Living people