Doug Woolerton

Doug Woolerton
MP
1st President of New Zealand First
In office
1993–2005
Leader Winston Peters
Succeeded by Dail Jones
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for New Zealand First list
In office
1996  2008
Personal details
Born (1944-05-17) 17 May 1944
Nationality New Zealand
Political party New Zealand National Party (199092)
New Zealand First (1992)

Doug Woolerton (born 17 May 1944) is a New Zealand politician.

Early years

He was educated at Hamilton Boys' High School, and has a background in agriculture, having been a farmer for twenty-one years and director of a milk company for nine.

Political career

Woolerton was originally a member of the National Party, and stood for selection for the seat of Hamilton West in 1990. However he was beaten by Grant Thomas who later won the seat. Woolerton left the National Party in 1992 to form the New Zealand First party with Winston Peters.

Member of Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate List Party
199699 45th List 8 NZ First
19992002 46th List 5 NZ First
200205 47th List 5 NZ First
200508 48th List 5 NZ First

Woolerton first entered Parliament in the 1996 elections, becoming a list MP after being ranked fifth on the New Zealand First party list. He remained an MP until his party lost all parliamentary seats in the 2008 general election.

He was the president of New Zealand First from the party's inception until 2005 when he resigned in protest against Winston Peters taking a visible role in the Labour-led government as Minister of Foreign Affairs. More recently, there have been frictions between then New Zealand First Party President Dail Jones on the one hand, and Woolerton and Brian Donnelly on the other over the latter's support for Sue Bradford's private members bill to outlaw parental corporal punishment of children (or smacking)[1]

References

Party political offices
New political party President of New Zealand First
19932005
Succeeded by
Dail Jones
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