Lockwood Smith

The New Zealand politician Dr. Alexander Lockwood Smith (born 13 November 1948) holds membership of the New Zealand National Party. He has served as the MP for first Kaipara and then Rodney since the 1984 elections, and has held a number of Cabinet positions, including Minister of Education, Minister of Agriculture, Minister for International Trade, and Associate Minister of Finance. Before entering politics he lectured at Massey University, worked as a television presenter (presenting a children's quiz show called "W3"), and managed marketing at the New Zealand Dairy Board.

As Minister of Education

Dr Smith served as Minister of Education from 1990 until 1996. During this period he implemented a number of changes to the tertiary education sector (universities and technical institutions). One high-profile change involved a radical increase in student fees, as recommended by the Todd Report, which the government had commissioned to address issues of funding.

As opposition education spokesman in 1990, Smith had campaigned for the removal of the Labour Government's tertiary tuition fee of $1250, promising to get rid of the fee if elected. In office, he kept this promise on a technicality: he shifted the burden of charging fees for courses from the government to the institutions, who then had to charge even higher tuition fees due to decreased government funding.

Smith's term as Education Minister also saw the introduction of means-testing for student allowances, with the effect that students of middle-class parents became ineligible for allowances until they reached 25 years of age.

These activities inevitably resulted in considerable antipathy toward Smith from tertiary students, and he became the subject of a considerable amount of protest activity. On one occasion in 1994 Smith had to escape from a mob through a window at the University of Canterbury. Another protestor produced an unflattering bust of Smith, sculpted out of horse manure.

Other positions held

In 1996 Smith took on the Agriculture and Trade Negotiation portfolios: Wyatt Creech succeeded him as Education Minister.

Prior to National's defeat in 1999, he had become Minister for International Trade, Tourism, as well as holding responsibilities as Associate Minister of Finance, Associate Minister of Immigration (International Access and Processing), and Minister Responsible for Contact Energy Ltd.

As Trade Minister, Smith led New Zealand's efforts at the 1999 APEC negotiations. He successfully negotiated New Zealand's free-trade agreement with Singapore, which became the NZ - Singapore Closer Economic Partnership. At the WTO Ministerial in Seattle, he took part in efforts which later lead to the Doha Development Round.

In Opposition, Dr Smith has held a number of spokesperson roles for the National Party, including those of Foreign Affairs and Commerce.

Smith currently functions as National Party Spokesman on Immigration and on Revenue; and as Associate Spokesman for Finance. In his role as Immigration spokesman, he has challenged Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field over alleged impropriety in Field's dealings with constituents.

Political views

External links

* http://www.national.org.nz/Bio.aspx?Id=27
* http://tonymilne.blogs.com/i_see_red/2005/12/lockwood_tells_.html