Phil Goff
The Honourable Phil Goff MP |
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![]() Goff in 2010
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32nd Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 11 November 2008 – 13 December 2011 |
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Deputy | Annette King |
Preceded by | John Key |
Succeeded by | David Shearer |
35th Minister of Defence | |
In office 19 October 2005 – 19 November 2008 |
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Prime Minister | Helen Clark |
Preceded by | Mark Burton |
Succeeded by | Wayne Mapp |
25th Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 5 December 1999 – 19 October 2005 |
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Prime Minister | Helen Clark |
Preceded by | Don McKinnon |
Succeeded by | Winston Peters |
43rd Minister of Justice | |
In office 5 December 1999 – 19 October 2005 |
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Prime Minister | Helen Clark |
Preceded by | Tony Ryall |
Succeeded by | Mark Burton |
12th Leader of the Labour Party | |
In office 11 November 2008 – 13 December 2011 |
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Deputy | Annette King |
Preceded by | Helen Clark |
Succeeded by | David Shearer |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Roskill |
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In office 1981 – 1990 |
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Preceded by | Arthur Faulkner |
Succeeded by | Gilbert Myles |
In office 1993 – 1996 |
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Preceded by | Gilbert Myles |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for New Lynn |
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In office 1996 – 1999 |
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Preceded by | Jonathan Hunt |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Mount Roskill |
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Assumed office 1999 |
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Majority | 6,418 (at 2008 election)[1] |
Personal details | |
Born | Auckland, New Zealand |
22 June 1953
Political party | Labour |
Spouse(s) | Mary Ellen Goff (1979–present) |
Children | 3 |
Residence | Clevedon, Auckland |
Profession | Lecturer |
Signature | Phil Goff's signature |
Philip Bruce Goff[2] (born 22 June 1953) is the Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Mount Roskill. During the Fifth Labour Government, in office from 1999 to 2008, he served in a number of ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Defence of New Zealand, Minister of Corrections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control and Associate Minister of Finance.[3] He served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party between 11 November 2008 and 13 December 2011.
Contents
Early life
Goff was born and raised in Auckland. His family was very poor, and his father wanted Goff to enter the workforce immediately after finishing high school. Goff, however, wished to attend university, a decision that caused him to leave home when only sixteen years old. By working as a freezing worker and a cleaner, Goff was able to fund himself through university, gaining an MA (with first class honours) in political studies at the University of Auckland. In 1973, he was Senior Scholar in Political Studies, and also won the Butterworth Prize for law. While completing his MA, he lectured in Political Studies. He also briefly worked as an Insurance Workers Union organiser.[citation needed]
Member of Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party |
1981–1984 | 40th | Roskill | Labour | |
1984–1987 | 41st | Roskill | Labour | |
1987–1990 | 42nd | Roskill | Labour | |
1993–1996 | 44th | Roskill | Labour | |
1996–1999 | 45th | New Lynn | none | Labour |
1999–2002 | 46th | Mt Roskill | 7 | Labour |
2002–2005 | 47th | Mt Roskill | 6 | Labour |
2005–2008 | 48th | Mt Roskill | 6 | Labour |
2008–2011 | 49th | Mt Roskill | 3 | Labour |
2011–2014 | 50th | Mt Roskill | 1 | Labour |
2014–present | 51st | Mt Roskill | 16 | Labour |
Goff had joined the Labour Party in 1969, the same year he left home, and held a number of administrative positions within the party. In the 1981 elections, Goff stood for Parliament in the Roskill electorate, and was elected.
Cabinet minister: 1984–1990
Three years later, when Labour won the 1984 elections, Goff was elevated to Cabinet, becoming its youngest member. He served as Minister of Housing and Minister of Employment. After the 1987 elections, Goff dropped the Housing portfolio, but also became Minister of Youth Affairs and Minister of Tourism. Later, after a significant rearrangement of responsibilities, Goff became Minister of Education. In the disputes between Roger Douglas (the reformist Finance Minister) and other Labour MPs, Goff generally positioned himself on the side of Douglas, supporting deregulation and free trade.
In opposition: 1990–1999
In the 1990 elections, Labour was defeated, and Goff lost his own parliamentary seat to Gilbert Myles. While many commentators blamed Douglas's controversial reforms for Labour's loss, Goff said that the main problem had been in communication, not policy. Goff was appointed to a position at the Auckland Institute of Technology, and later accepted a scholarship to study for six months at Oxford University, but eventually decided to stand for parliament once again.[citation needed]
In the 1993 elections, Goff was re-elected as MP for Roskill. Helen Clark, Labour's new leader, made him the party's spokesperson for Justice. In 1996, Goff was part of the group which asked Clark to step down as leader. Clark survived the challenge, and was advised by her allies to demote Goff, but chose not to do so.[citation needed]
Goff retained his seat in the 1996 elections, having elected not to be placed on Labour's party list.[citation needed]
In Opposition from 1996 to 1999, Goff was Labour's spokesperson on Justice, and Courts & Corrections.[citation needed]
Cabinet minister: 1999–2008
In the 1999 elections, which Labour won, Goff accepted seventh place on the party list, but also retained his electorate seat. In Clark's new government, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister of Justice. He retained this position after the 2002 elections. Following the 2005 elections Rt Hon. Winston Peters was made Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Goff was made Minister of Defence and Disarmament and retained the Trade portfolio.[citation needed]
In 2003 convicted rapist Stewart Murray Wilson doctored and distributed a letter from then-Justice Minister Goff, in an apparent attempt to get his case reviewed.[4]
In 2005, as justice minister, he passed legislation that dramatically strengthened laws condemning child pornography and child sex.[citation needed]
In his Trade portfolio during the 2005–2008 parliamentary term, Goff signed the free trade agreement with China. He has been known for his like of free trade.[citation needed]
Goff became one of the better-known members of the Labour Party, being number four on the Labour Party list during the 2008 general election. Clark and Goff differed substantially in their economic policies, but they were able to work relatively well together, and this was shown during Goff's signing of the New Zealand – China free trade agreement.[citation needed]
Leader of the Opposition: 2008–2011
At the 2008 election Labour was defeated, and Clark resigned as leader. Goff was widely tipped as her successor. Goff became leader after a special caucus meeting on 11 November 2008.[5][6]
Smacking referendum
Both Goff and Prime Minister John Key have said that they will not vote in the corporal punishment referendum. Goff said that the question "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" was "absolutely" the wrong question, and that "the question implies that if you vote 'yes' that you're in favour of criminal sanctions being taken against reasonable parents – actually nobody believes that."[7][8]
Potential GST rise
In John Key's Statement to Parliament in February 2010, the government announced its consideration of raising Goods and Services Tax from 12.5% to 15%.[9] Goff opposed the raise, saying that "GST increase will hurt families that are already struggling to make ends meet", and the Labour caucus set out on an 'Axe the Tax' nationwide road trip.[10][11] In May 2010 Goff suggested exempting fresh fruit and vegetables from GST.[12] Key called the exemption of such items "very bureaucratic" and Goff's announcement "desperate".[13]
Mining in national parks
In February 2010 a discussion document was released, proposing that 7,058 ha of land in national parks be opened up for mining.[14][15] Outside Parliament Goff told protesters that he and Labour would oppose the proposals "at every stage", and pledged to re-protect any land released from Schedule 4, should his party return to power.[16]
Political career after being leader: 2011–
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On 26 November 2011 the results of the general election were very poor for Labour, which lost 6.86% of the list vote and 9 electorate seats.[17] Phil Goff stated that this "wasn't our time this time ... but our time will come again ... we're a bit bloodied but not defeated."[18] Three days after conceding defeat Goff and his deputy, Annette King announced they would be standing down from their leadership positions on 13 December, but would stay on in Parliament as electorate MPs.[19] Goff became the third Labour leader, the first since the ousting of Arnold Nordmeyer in 1965, to leave the Labour Party leadership without ever becoming Prime Minister. Goff is also the first Labour leader who was not a former Prime Minister to have led Labour as a first term Opposition party at an election since Nordmeyer in 1963.
On 22 November 2015 Goff announced he would run for Mayor of Auckland at the 2016 election.[20]
Life outside parliament
Goff is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Global Panel Foundation-Australasia, an NGO that works behind the scenes in crisis areas around the world.[citation needed]
Phil Goff is married to Mary Ellen Goff, whom he met in 1971 and married in 1979. They have three adult children – Kristopher, Sara, and Kieran.[21] He lives on a 8-hectare (20-acre) farmlet in the rural Auckland suburb of Clevedon.[21] Goff's nephew, U.S. Army Captain Matthew Ferrara, was killed in 2007 during the Afghanistan War.[22]
References
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- ↑ Election results, Radio New Zealand, 27 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ↑ Phil Goff speech election 2011Scoop.co.nz via TV3 (New Zealand), 26 November 2011. Retrieved: 27 November 2011.
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phil Goff. |
- Profile on Labour Party website
- Profile at New Zealand Parliament
- Phil Goff on FacebookLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
New Zealand Parliament | ||
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Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Roskill 1981–1990 1993–1996 |
Succeeded by Gilbert Myles |
Preceded by | Constituency abolished | |
Preceded by | Member of Parliament for New Lynn 1996–1999 |
Vacant
Constituency recreated in 2002
Title next held by
David Cunliffe |
New constituency | Member of Parliament for Mount Roskill 1999 – |
Incumbent |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by | Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party 2008–2011 |
Succeeded by David Shearer |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition 2008–2011 |
Succeeded by David Shearer |
Preceded by | Minister of Education 1989–1990 |
Succeeded by Lockwood Smith |
Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Affairs 1999–2005 |
Succeeded by Winston Peters |
Preceded by | Minister of Justice 1999–2005 |
Succeeded by Mark Burton |
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- 1953 births
- Living people
- Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
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- Ministers of Housing (New Zealand)
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- University of Auckland alumni
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- Unsuccessful candidates in the New Zealand general election, 1990