GOVERNMENT NEWS ARCHIVE APPOINTMENTS 2005

23 December
Education Minister Steve Maharey has announced a replacement Chair for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Sue Suckling, who is currently Chair of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, AgriQuality, Barkers Fruit Processors, the Oxford Clinic in Christchurch and the Carson Group and a member of the Takeovers Panel, will take on the role from March 2006.

21 December
Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey has announced the appointment of Sir John Anderson, the retiring Chief Executive of ANZ National Bank, as the new Chair of Television New Zealand (TVNZ) when current chair Craig Boyce' stands down in April.

Sir John initially replaced Dame Ann Hercus, who resigned as a Board member last week.

13 December
ACC Minister Ruth Dyson has welcomed the appointment of Don Turkington to the ACC board.

"Don Turkington has extensive governance experience in commercial, cultural, education and community organisations. His expertise in financial services and investment management, combined with his academic training and research experience in economics, will be an asset to the ACC board and complement the skills of other board members."

Ruth Dyson also welcomed the re-appointment of Brenda Tahi and Gregory Fortuin for a second term. Other board members are Other board members David Collins QC (Chair), Peter Neilson, Ray Potroz, Janice Wright and Tord Kjellstrom.

9 December
Local Government Minister Mark Burton has announced the appointment of Sue Piper as the new Chair of the Local Government Commission. She replaces Grant Kirby as Chair who has now completed his term of appointment.

Mark Burton also announced the appointment of Wynne Raymond as a member of the Local Government Commission.

The Local Government Commission is an independent statutory body constituted under the Local Government Act 2002. Its principal task is to make decisions on the structure of local government and representation arrangements of local authorities.

30 November
Attorney-General David Parker today announced the appointment of Jeremy Paul Doogue as an Associate Judge of the High Court, residing in Auckland.

Associate Judge Doogue was a partner for eight years before commencing practice as a barrister in 1987.

He has been appointed sto numerous positions including
District Court bench in 1996, Executive Judge for the Northern Region 1999 to 2002 and most recently, temporary Associate Judge of the High Court.

Associate Judge Doogue has also been on the Rules Committee and a member of Save the Children Fund.

28 November
The State Services Commissioner, Mark Prebble, today announced the appointment of Shenagh Gleisner as the Acting Chief Executive of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services.

"Shenagh will start from the time Paula Tyler leaves the job," Mr Prebble said.

Ms Gleisner will be in the role until a new chief executive is appointed.

Shenagh Gleisner is currently the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Women's Affairs. Carolyn Risk has been appointed as the Acting Chief Executive of the Ministry of Women's Affairs for the period that Ms Gleisner is away from the Ministry.

10 November
New Zealand’s next Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, and Ambassador for Disarmament, will be career diplomat Don MacKay, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.

Mr MacKay has an extensive background in United Nations and disarmament matters, and brings considerable experience and expertise to the position, Mr Peters said.

Don MacKay will replace Tim Caughley, who will be returning to Wellington. He will take up his position in March 2006.

8 November
New Zealand’s first ambassador to Timor-Leste will be career diplomat Ruth Nuttall, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.

"The upgrading of our consulate-general to a full embassy and the assignment of our first resident ambassador reflect our commitment to Timor-Leste as it develops and defines its place in the Asia-Pacific community," Mr Peters said.

"New Zealand has strongly supported Timor-Leste’s independence and emergence as a stable sovereign nation. Our major contribution to United Nations’ Peacekeeping operations over three years has generated huge goodwill toward New Zealand.

Ms Nuttall joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1980 and has extensive experience in the Asia-Pacific region, including as Deputy Director of the South East Asia Division. She will take up her assignment in December.

3 November
New Zealand’s next Ambassador to France will be career diplomat Sarah Dennis, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. Ms Dennis joined the Ministry in 1968, and has previously served in Paris, London, New Caledonia, Ottawa and as High Commissioner to Malaysia.

Ms Dennis is currently Director of the Europe Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She takes up her appointment in April next year, replacing Adrian Macey who is returning to Wellington.

19 October
New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Argentina will be career diplomat Lucy Duncan, caretaker Foreign Minister Phil Goff announced today.

Ms Duncan joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1984, and has previously been posted to Singapore, Geneva, and Vienna. She will take up her appointment in January, replacing Carl Worker, who is returning to Wellington.

14 September
Attorney-General Michael Cullen has announced two Court appointments: Ian McHardy as a Family Court Judge and Tom Broadmore as a District Court Judge.

Mr McHardy will be sworn in on 4 October and will sit in Auckland.

Mr Broadmore will be sworn in on 14 October and will sit in Wellington.

27 May
Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson announced that Denis Byrne is to be re-appointed as an Australian member of the New Zealand Takeovers Panel. The term will be until March 2007.

23 May
Minister of Transport Pete Hodgson has announced the appointment of Paul Fitzharris to the Board of Land Transport New Zealand.

18 May
Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson today announced the appointments of Anita Mazzoleni and Gowan Pickering as associate members of the Commerce Commission. They will each serve for a term of three years.
Anita Mazzoleni is a chartered accountant and lawyer with experience of large public and private sector corporates. She is currently a Director of the Crown Research Institute, Industrial Research Limited.
Gowan Pickering has worked in the information technology for IBM for over 30 years. He was appointed as the New Zealand IBM Chief Executive Officer and Chairman from 1991 - 1998. From 2000 - 2004 he was Chief Executive for the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology.
Mr Pickering is currently Chair of Wellington Free Ambulance, a Director of Fishserve Innovations NZ Ltd, a Council member of the Victoria University of Wellington and a Director of Victoria Link Limited.

17 May
Tony Couch has been appointed by Attorney-General Michael Cullen, as a Judge of the Employment Court and of the District Court. He will reside in Christchurch.
Since graduating from Canterbury University Mr Couch has been in sole practice and barrister sole since 1992. His principal interest is employment law but is also interested in intellectual property and appears in civil proceedings and tribunal matters.
He has tutored at Canterbury University and served on numerous District Law Society committees and the NZ Law Society Employment Law Committee. For many years he was an advisor to the US Antarctic programme.

9 May
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade CEO Simon Murdoch announced the appointment of Caroline Forsyth as its Deputy Secretary.
Ms Forsyth takes up her new position in June to replaces Rosemary Banks who has been appointed New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

4 May
Attorney General Michael Cullen today announced the appointment of Hon Justice John McGrath as a Judge of the Supreme Court. Justice Sir Kenneth Keith will retire later this year.
Justice McGrath graduated from Victoria University with an LLM in 1968, then went on to practice as a litigation partner in the law firm Buddle Findlay until he moved to the separate bar in 1984.
In 1987 he became Queen's Counsel and then Solicitor-General between 1989 and 2000.
From 1986 to 1989 he was Chancellor of Victoria University, which awarded him an honorary LL.D in 1992.
Justice McGrath has been a judge of the Court of Appeal since July 2000.

Attorney-General Michael Cullen today announced the appointment of the Hon Justice James Bruce Robertson as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Robertson graduated from Otago University and obtained an LLM from Virginia in 1968. From 1969 to 1987 he was a partner in the Dunedin law firm Ross Dowling Marquet & Griffin and a Harkness Fellow in 1972-73.
Justice Robertson was appointed a Judge of the High Court in 1987 and has sat in the Divisional Courts of the Court of Appeal. He was appointed President of the Law Commission in 2001.

1 May
Foreign Minister Phil Goff announced the appointment of career diplomat Rosemary Banks as New Zealand’s next Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Ms Banks will take up her placement in early June and replace Don McKay.

21 April
Foreign Minister Phil Goff and Minister for Disability Issues Ruth Dyson today announced that Don MacKay, New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, is to chair the committee drafting a new convention covering the rights of people with disabilities.

Minister for Economic Development, Jim Anderton announced that eight new members have been appointed to the Growth and Innovation Advisory Board (GIAB).
The Board provides independent advice to economic ministers. Ann Sherry, CEO of Westpac New Zealand, will chair the board during this second term in operation.
The board members are:
Mark Billinghurst, Director of the Human Interface Technology at the University of Canterbury
Wendell Dunn, Foundation Professor of Entrepreneurship and head of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Auckland
Margaret McLeod, Principal of Wellington Girls' College
Peter Maire, founder and President of Navman New Zealand
Russell Marshall, Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission
Peter Menzies, company director and consultant
Pauline Winter, businesswoman and chair of the Pacific Business Trust.
Re-appointed for a second term as GIAB members were Peter Biggs, Rick Christie, Brian Easton, Theresa Gattung, Craig Norgate, Stephen Tindall and Ross Wilson.

6 April
Attorney General Michael Cullen today announced the appointment of two District Court Judges, John McDonald of Rotorua and Tony Zohrab of Wellington.
Mr McDonald will sit in Whangarei, and Mr Zohrab in Nelson.
Mr McDonald graduated from Auckland University with an LLB in 1974 and began practising in litigation with Meredith Connell, then Davys Burton. In 1994 he was appointed Crown Solicitor. His recent practice has been almost exclusively acting for the Crown, predominantly prosecuting jury trials.
Mr Zohrab graduated from Victoria University with a BA in 1983 and an LLB in 1985. Since 1998 he has been in sole practice in Lower Hutt, and specialises in litigation, particularly criminal and employment law.

24 March
Retiring Chief District Court Judge David Carruthers, has been appointed by Attorney-General Michael Cullen as Chair of the New Zealand Parole Board.
Chief Judge Carruthers will take over as head of the Parole Board from Hon Justice Anthony Ellis, who completes his term of appointment on 30 June.

18 March
Kaye Turner, Acting Chair of the TEC, announced that Janice Shiner, currently Director General of the Lifelong Learning Directorate in England, will be the TEC's first Chief Executive. She will take up her position on 11 July 2005.

16 March
Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson today announced two new appointments and one re-appointment to the Standards Council of New Zealand.
Vaughan Renner and Michael Wallmannsberger have been appointed as new members of the Council. Professor John Hannah has been re-appointed for a further term of 3 years.
The Minister acknowledged outgoing members William Simmers and Arthur 'Francis' Small for their time and expertise.

The Australian Treasurer, Peter Costello and New Zealand Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson today jointly announced cross-appointments of Charles Macek and Warwick Hunt.
Charles Macek, Chair of the FRC has been appointed as a member of the ASRB and Warwick Hunt, Chair of the ASRB has been appointed as a member of the FRC.
"This is a further step in developing a trans-Tasman single economic market," Peter Costello said.
"The FRC and ASRB are responsible for standards setting oversight and strategy," said Pete Hodgson. "These cross-appointments will promote higher levels of coordination and communication in these areas."

10 March
Attorney General Michael Cullen today announced the appointment of Judge Graeme Colgan as the next Chief Judge of the Employment Court. Judge Colgan is to replace Chief Judge Thomas Goddard when he retires in May.

9 March
A Parliamentary motion has been passed authorising the appointment to the Electoral Commission former Labour Minister David Caygill as the Government's representative, and Wellington businessman John Isles as National's, on behalf of the opposition.

Each election two short-term political appointments are made to the Electoral Commission to help decide on how to hand out taxpayer money.

3 March
Labour list MP and former attorney-general Margaret Wilson has been elected by Parliament as its Speaker.
She becomes the first woman to hold the position in New Zealand.
The Governor-General was to confirm Ms Wilson’s election at Government House this afternoon.

28 February
Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson today announced two appointmens to the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ): Mike Willing as the Vice Chair and Howard Duff as a new member from 21 February 2005.
Mike Willing, the Product Conformance Manager for Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, was originally appointed to JAS-ANZ in June 2004.
Howard Duff has considerable experience in implementing quality systems in the United Kingdom and advising major Australasian organisations on improving their performance.

Prime Minister Helen Clark today announced the appointment of two additional Parliamentary Private Secretaries. The appointments take the number of Parliamentary Private Secretaries to five.
Lianne Dalziel has been appointed as PPS to the Minister of Youth Affairs Steve Maharey, and to the Minister of Ethnic Affairs, Chris Carter.
Russell Fairbrother has been appointed as PPS to the Attorney-General, Michael Cullen.

25 February
Attorney-General Margaret Wilson today announced the appointment of David Abbott as an Associate Judge of the High Court, and will sit in Auckland.
Associate Judge Abbott became a partner in Shieff Angland in 1983. In 1997 he became a barrister sole, specialising in civil and commercial litigation.

21 February
Alistair Garland of Invercargill has been appointed District Court Judge to a new position in Palmerston North. Since 1980 Mr Garland has been a partner in the firm now known as Preston Russell Law.

Health Minister Annette King has reappointed NZ Health & Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson for a second term.

11 February
Attorney-General Margaret Wilson has announced the appointments of David Burns as a Family Court judge and Susan Thomas as a District Court Judge.
David Burns of Auckland will be sworn in on 15 March, replacing Judge Jim O'Donovan in the Auckland Family Court. Judge O'Donovan will retire later this year. Susan Thomas of Wellington will replace Judge Anand Satyanand, who retires this month, in the Wellington District Court. She will be sworn in on 23 March.

10 February
Attorney-General Margaret Wilson has announced the retirement of Judge David Carruthers as Chief District Court Judge and the appointment of Judge Russell Johnson as his successor.
Judge Carruthers' last day at the court will be 31 March. Judge Johnson will take over the role on 1 April.
Margaret Wilson thanked Judge Carruthers for his 20 years of service to the bench. He began his judicial career as a District Court Judge and became Principal Youth Court Judge in 1996. He was appointed as Chief District Court Judge in 2001.

Ken Harris has been appointed General Manager, MAF Quarantine Service. He was formerly Group GM and Executive Director of NZL Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the P&O Group.

8 February
Judy Callingham has been appointed as Deputy Chair of NZ On Air for a further three-year term.

4 February
Attorney-General Margaret Wilson today announced new appointments to the legislation Advisory Committee.
Sir Geoffrey Palmer has been appointed as Chair of the committee. Other new appointments are:
Sir Ivor Richardson, Former President of the Court of Appeal
Mr Graeme Buchanan, Chief Legal Adviser, Department of Labour
Professor John Farrar, Dean of Law, Waikato University
Mr Andrew Geddis, Law Lecturer, Otago University
Mr Ivan Kwok, Treasury Solicitor
Ms Mary Scholtens QC, Wellington Barrister
Dr John Yeabsley, New Zealand Institute of Research Economist

4 February
The government has made 13 appointments to the new Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Committee - Professor Mick Clout (chair), Glenys Coughlan-Dunlop, Dr Stephen Goldson, Dr Barbara Hayden, Dr Virginia Hope, Lorraine Stephenson, Mark Leslie, Stewart Milne, Eugenie Sage, Peter Silcock, John Aspinall, Basil Chamberlain and Neil Walter.

27 January
Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson today announced the re-appointment of Colin Beyer and Cathy Quinn to the Securities Commission. Both will commence second terms of five years from February 2005. Cathy Quinn is a commercial corporate partner of Minter Ellison Rudd Watts. A leading lawyer in the field of securities and corporate governance she co-authored Morison's Company and Securities Law.
Colin Beyer has been practising law in Wellington for more than 40 years, including 10 years as partner in Simpson Grierson. Mr Beyer specialised in company, commercial and mining law. In 2003 he retired from Simpson Grierson, but remains a consultant to the firm.

Commerce Minister Pete Hodgson today announced the appointment of Julie Rickman as a member of the Accounting Standards Review Board (ASRB) for a four year term. Julie Rickman is the partner responsible for assurance services with Beattie Rickman, Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors, Hamilton.

26 January
Retiring High Commissioner to London, Hon Russell Marshall is to be the new chair of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Announcing the move Education Minister Trevor Mallard said: "Russell Marshall has had a long and impressive public service career which includes 18 years as a member of parliament, during which time he held ministerial portfolios in Education, Foreign Affairs and Pacific Island Affairs."

21 January
Attorney-General Margaret Wilson has announced the appointment of Simon France as a judge of the High Court, sitting in Auckland. Justice France joined the Crown Law Office in 1995 as Crown Counsel in the Criminal Team and has appeared on behalf of the Crown in litigation in the Court of Appeal, Privy Council and Supreme Court.