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	17 May 1944 (1944-05-17) (age 67)
Nationality	New Zealand
Political party	New Zealand National Party (1990–92) 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
1996–99	45th	List	8	NZ First
1999–2002	46th	List	5	NZ First
2002–05	47th	List	5	NZ First
2005–08	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]

External links

• Doug Woolerton at the New Zealand Parliament website
• Doug Woolerton at the New Zealand First website
• Doug Woolerton on "They Work For You"
• Doug Woolerton talks about innovation and investment

References

1. ^ http://www.stuff.co.nz/4005097a11.html

Party political offices
New political party	President of New Zealand First 1993–2005	Succeeded by Dail Jones

Persondata
Name	Woolerton, Doug
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	17 May 1944
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death