Fran Wilde

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Frances "Fran" Helen Wilde, CNZM, QSO, JP (born 1948), is a New Zealand politician, and former Wellington Labour MP, Minister of Tourism and 31st Mayor of Wellington. She was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Wellington. She was also chairperson of the Greater Wellington Regional Council, until 2015.

Member of Parliament and Minister

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate Party
1981–84 40th Wellington Central Labour
1984–87 41st Wellington Central Labour
1987–90 42nd Wellington Central Labour
1990–92 43rd Wellington Central Labour

Wilde was a Member of Parliament for the Wellington Central seat, winning it from sitting National MP Ken Comber in the 1981 general election. Wilde retained the seat at the subsequent 1984 general election.

In 1985, Wilde moved what became the Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986, which legalised homosexual acts in New Zealand between consenting men. The 16-month debate about the bill polarised the country, and sparked violent demonstrations and angry rallies at Parliament. Her other main legislative achievement in Parliament was an Adoption Reform Act, which made it possible for adopted people and their birth-parents to contact each other.

Wilde was Parliamentary Whip from 1984 to 1987, and became Minister of Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Disarmament during Labour's second term.

Mayor of Wellington

In 1992 she resigned from Parliament to stand for Mayor of Wellington. She won that position, and remained in office until 1995. Her seat was retained by Labour, with Chris Laidlaw winning the 1992 by-election caused by Wilde's resignation.

Greater Wellington Regional Council

Since then, Wilde has been appointed CEO of Trade New Zealand (until February 2003) and was elected as a councillor for the Wellington Regional Council. The council has occupied much of her time in recent years. Wilde was re-elected to the Regional Council in 2007.[1] On 30 October, Wilde was elected by her fellow councillors Chair of the Council.[2] She is a strong proponent of the super city proposal for Wellington. When the Local Government Commission rejected the proposal, Wilde received a letter signed by nine of her fellow councillors asking her to stand down as chair. Wilde has announced that she would step down from the chair's position from 30 June 2015, but that she would remain a regional councillor.[3]

Family

She has 3 adult children, Stephen Wilde, Alexandra Wilde and Matiu Wilde from her first marriage to Geoffrey Wilde. Her husband Christopher Kelly is CEO of Landcorp and a former veterinary surgeon.

See also

External links

References

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New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wellington Central
1981–1992		 Succeeded by
Chris Laidlaw
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Wellington
1992–1995		 Succeeded by
Mark Blumsky
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