Trevor Mallard

Trevor Colin Mallard (born 17 June 1954) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party. First elected to Parliament in 1984, he was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2017 until 2022.

Mallard was a Cabinet minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand (1999 to 2008). For six years, he was Minister of Education and Minister of State Services and held additional appointments as Minister for the Environment, Minister of Labour, Minister of Broadcasting, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Associate Minister of Finance. He has represented the electorates of Hamilton West, Pencarrow and Hutt South, and was a list member of Parliament between 2017 and 2022.

In January 2023, Mallard will take up the role of New Zealand ambassador to Ireland.

Early life

Mallard was born in Wellington, and attended Onslow College. After gaining a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration degree from Victoria University of Wellington in 1974, he trained as a teacher at the Wellington College of Education, gaining a Diploma in Teaching in 1976. He subsequently held a number of teaching jobs in Wellington and the King Country. While teaching, Mallard became involved in the PPTA, the national secondary school teachers' union. He was secretary of the PPTA's King Country branch from 1979 to 1984. In 1984, he gained a Diploma in Continuing Education from the University of Waikato.

Member of Parliament

Mallard joined the Labour Party in 1972, while still at university. In 1977 Mallard was arrested in Parliament during an anti-SIS bill protest, later appearing in court and the supreme court. He was also arrested during the 1981 Springbok protests. In 1983 he contested the Labour nomination for the new Tongariro electorate but was unsuccessful, losing to Noel Scott. He held a number of internal party positions until the election of 1984 when he defeated Mike Minogue to become the member of Parliament for Hamilton West. In his first term of Parliament, the Labour Party formed a new government and Mallard served as a member off the Justice and Law Reform committee and Regulations Review committee.

Mallard was re-elected in the 1987 election and the Labour government won a second term. Mallard was appointed junior government whip from 1987 to 1990, when he became senior whip. He lost his seat in the election of 1990.

Returning to the Wellington area, he contested the seat of Pencarrow in the 1993 election and was successful. The electorate was renamed Hutt South in 1996, and Mallard retained the seat until 2017 when he opted to become a list MP in a bid to become the Speaker of the House.

As an opposition member of Parliament in the 1990s, Mallard was reappointed to the Justice and Law Reform committee (1993–1994) and appointed to the Government Administration committee (1993–1999). Under Helen Clark's leadership, Mallard was a senior member of the Labour Party. Michael Cullen described him as a member of Clark's inner circle which also included Pete Hodgson, Steve Maharey, Phil Goff and Annette King. He held spokesperson roles in portfolios he would later have ministerial responsibility for, including sport, state services and education.

Returning to opposition after the ascent of the Key Government in 2008, Mallard was Labour spokesperson for a range of portfolios including animal welfare (2014–2017), internal affairs (2013–2015) and education and labour (2008–2011). He was shadow leader of the House from 2011 to 2013 and was elected an assistant Speaker of the House in 2014. In February 2012, Mallard was accused of ticket scalping on Trade Me when he sold four tickets to the Homegrown music festival for a $246 profit. As Minister of Economic Development in 2006, Mallard had initiated legislation, the Major Events Management Act 2007, prohibiting ticket scalping for major events (although Homegrown wasn't classified as a "major event" so wasn't covered). He later offered to refund the money he received for the tickets.

Mallard's election as the Speaker in 2017 and 2020 completed his parliamentary career. His move into a presiding officer role was likened to "the poacher turned gamekeeper." Mallard had had a reputation as an "attack dog" and "political battler" (he was once convicted of fighting in a public place after punching National MP Tau Henare at Parliament). His speakership was remarked on for its contribution to parliamentary culture change, including promoting a more family-friendly environment and removing the requirement for male MPs to wear ties. However, some of Mallard's comments and actions attracted criticism including in relation to the 2022 Wellington protests.

Minister in the Fifth Labour Government

When Labour won the 1999 election, Mallard was appointed to Cabinet. He became Minister of Education, Minister of State Services, and Minister for Sport and Recreation. In connection with his Education role, he also became Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office, and in connection with his Sport role, he also became Minister for the America's Cup (New Zealand held the America's Cup at the time). In 2004, Mallard also became Co-ordinating Minister for Race Relations, and Minister of Energy.

In September 2006, Mallard was implicated in the resignation of National Party leader Don Brash after interjecting with an allegation in the House that Brash had engaged in an extramarital affair.

In an October 2007 cabinet reshuffle, he was reassigned to be the Minister for the Environment, the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Broadcasting, the Minister for State Owned Enterprises and the Associate Minister of Finance.

In October 2007, Mallard punched National Party MP Tau Henare in a scuffle that took place outside the debating chambers. It is speculated that this was a result of comments Henare made regarding a new relationship Mallard had formed. Mallard quickly apologised for his part in the altercation. He also publicly revealed that the woman with whom he had entered a new relationship was former world champion rower Brenda Lawson. Police declined to investigate but Graham McCready launched a private prosecution. Mallard pleaded guilty to fighting in a public place and agreed to pay $500 to the Salvation Army's Bridge drug and alcohol programme.

In May 2008, Mallard was warned by New Zealand's Chief Electoral Officer Robert Peden that signage on his electorate vehicle breached provisions of the controversial Electoral Finance Act and ordered him to update the signage to include an authorisation from party officials. However, the Chief Electoral Officer did not refer the matter to the New Zealand Police to prosecute as the matter was considered inconsequential.

Minister of Education

Mallard's handling of the education portfolio was strongly criticised by teachers' unions, including the PPTA. In his first term as minister, he was strongly criticised by teachers during a long-running strike action over salaries.

In his second term, he was criticised for a program of school closures, that involved almost 90 schools across the country. The program was eventually stopped after it faced heavy criticism from parents and teachers.

Minister of Sport and Recreation

In April 2002, Mallard made crude comments about inserting beer bottles into "uncomfortable places" of International Rugby Board