Ron Mark
| Ron Mark | |
|---|---|
| Deputy Leader of New Zealand First | |
|
In office 3 July 2015 – Present | |
| Leader | Winston Peters |
| Preceded by | Tracey Martin |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for New Zealand First list | |
|
In office 1996 – 2008 | |
| Leader | Winston Peters |
|
Assumed office 2014 | |
| Mayor of Carterton District | |
|
In office October 2010 – September 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Gary McPhee |
| Succeeded by | John Booth |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
29 January 1954 Carterton, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Political party |
Labour (1990–1993) New Zealand First (1996–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Gail Mark (separated) |
| Occupation | Business owner/operator |
| Awards |
Royal Order of Oman Oman Peace Medal New Zealand Operational Service Medal New Zealand General Service Medal (Sinai) Multinational Service Medal and Bar |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service/branch | New Zealand Army |
| Rank | Major |
Ron Stanley Mark (born 1954) is a New Zealand politician, and is the former mayor of Carterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand.
Early years
Born in Carterton in 1954, Mark was educated at Tararua College. Before entering politics, he served in the New Zealand Army and in both the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces and the Sultan of Oman's Special Forces.[1]
Member of Parliament
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party |
| 1996–1999 | 45th | List | 11 | NZ First |
| 1999–2002 | 46th | List | 4 | NZ First |
| 2002–2005 | 47th | List | 4 | NZ First |
| 2005–2008 | 48th | List | 4 | NZ First |
| 2014–present | 51st | List | 9 | NZ First |
In the 1993 election he was the Labour candidate for the Selwyn electorate. He was later involved in the discussions about the formation of the New Zealand Democratic Coalition. When these failed, he joined New Zealand First.
He is a member of the New Zealand First party. He has been a list MP from the 1996 elections until his party's failure to retain any seats in the 2008 elections. During the (1996–98) coalition between New Zealand First and the National Party, he was the government's Senior Whip.
Media
The New Zealand television channel TV3 was banned for three days from filming in Parliament in August 2006 for showing Mark repeatedly giving the finger to another MP.[2]
In 2009, Mark told media that while he still had a subscription with New Zealand First, he was "not active", and that wouldn't rule out standing for Parliament with another party.[3]
Mayor of Carterton
In 2010 he was elected Mayor of Carterton in the Wairarapa. He succeeded outspoken mayor Gary McPhee who retired after two-terms.[4] In the 2013 local elections, Mark was returned as mayor unopposed.[5]
Return to parliament
In August 2014 it was announced that Mark would return as a New Zealand First MP; he resigned as Mayor and was replaced by John Booth.
On 3 July 2015, he replaced Tracey Martin as deputy leader of NZ First.[6]
Personal life
Formerly married to Gail Mark, née Berry, he has five children and eleven grandchildren.
References
- ↑ Fostered NZ Mayor, ex-MP. Fostering Kids Whangai Whakatairangi. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ↑ "TV3 punished for showing finger gesture". The New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2006. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ↑ "Ron Mark turns back on NZ First". The New Zealand Herald. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
- ↑ Katterns, Tanya (11 October 2010). "Carterton mayor off with a bang". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ↑ "2013 Local Government Elections Nominations". Carterton District Council. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ↑ Jones, Nicholas (3 July 2015). "Ron Mark new NZ First deputy leader". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 July 2015.