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Steve Chadwick
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Stephanie Anne "Steve" Chadwick[1] QSO (née Frizzell, born 15 December 1948) is a New Zealand politician. She served as mayor of Rotorua from 2013 to 2022. She previously held the positions of Minister of Conservation, Women's Affairs, and Associate Health in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand.
Key Information
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Early life
[edit]Born Stephanie Frizzell in Hastings, New Zealand, Chadwick is the sister of painter Dick Frizzell.[2] She attended Karamu High School, then did nursing training in Wellington. She married lawyer John Te Manihera Chadwick in 1968,[3] and the couple went on to have three children.[4] After holding many roles in the health sector, including a term from 1976 to 1986 as union representative for the New Zealand Nurses Association, Steve Chadwick was elected to the Rotorua District Council in 1996.
Member of Parliament
[edit]| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2002 | 46th | Rotorua | 43 | Labour | |
| 2002–2005 | 47th | Rotorua | 34 | Labour | |
| 2005–2008 | 48th | Rotorua | 33 | Labour | |
| 2008–2011 | 49th | List | 30 | Labour | |
In the 1999 election, Chadwick stood as the Labour Party candidate for the Rotorua seat, and defeated incumbent National Party MP Max Bradford. At the 2005 election she was narrowly returned to Parliament by 662 or 2.2% more votes than her opponent.[5]
In 2006, Chadwick's Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal (Easter Trading) Amendment Bill was drawn from the member's ballot.[6] The bill passed its first reading and was sent to select committee, but was narrowly defeated at the second reading, 64 to 57.[7]
In 2007, she was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Conservation and Women's Affairs,[8] as well as becoming an Associate Minister of Health.[9]
In the 2008 general election, Chadwick lost her seat to National's Todd McClay, whose margin was over 5000.[10] Chadwick's loss was predicted by some commentators due to boundary changes which incorporated more rural areas into the electorate.[11] However, due to Chadwick's list place of 30 she was able to return to parliament.
In 2010, Chadwick attempted to introduce a bill to Parliament to partially liberalise abortion law. This bill was defeated at the caucus stage and was not brought before Parliament.[12]
Chadwick failed to regain her seat in the 2011 election, losing to Todd McClay by a margin of more than 7,000 votes.[13] On 27 November 2011 she announced that she would be retiring from politics.[14]
As a cabinet minister, Chadwick was entitled to the title of The Honourable and became The Hon. Mrs Stephanie (Steve) Chadwick[15] which is a title she was granted for the rest of her life[16] after leaving parliament.
Mayor of Rotorua
[edit]Chadwick contested the Rotorua mayoralty in the local elections of that year, challenging sitting mayor Kevin Winters. Chadwick defeated Winters and three other candidates, receiving more than 11,000 votes from a total 19,596 votes cast.[17]
At the 2016 local-body elections, Chadwick again ran for mayor, defeating six other candidates, receiving 8,990 of a total 21,408 votes cast[18]
Chadwick's husband, John Chadwick, died in Rotorua on 26 May 2017.[4]
In 2020, Chadwick announced a zero percent rates increase in the Rotorua Lakes Council's 2020/2021 annual plan to cushion the financial blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had severely impacted the district's tourism industry.[19]
Chadwick did not stand for re-election as mayor in the 2022 elections.[20]
In the 2022 New Year Honours, Chadwick was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order, for services to local government and as a Member of Parliament.[21]
Post-mayoral activities
[edit]In 2025, Chadwick was one of 10 women MPs from across the political spectrum to serve on the People's Select Committee, a committee organised by former National MP Marilyn Waring to take submissions on pay equity changes made by the Sixth National Government of New Zealand. [22]
References
[edit]- ^ "New Zealand Hansard – Members Sworn, Volume:651; Page:2". New Zealand Parliament.
- ^ "Politicians 2009" (PDF). The New Zealand Society of Authors. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ "Decriminalisation". Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 29 November 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
- ^ a b Guy, Alice; Martin, Matthew (26 May 2017). "Rotorua lawyer John Chadwick dies". Rotorua Daily Post. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ^ Official Count Results – Rotorua Archived 12 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal (Easter Trading) Amendment Bill". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- ^ New Zealand Parliamentary Debates 639 9308.
- ^ "Appointment of Ministers". The New Zealand Gazette (7706). The Department of Internal Affairs: 3154. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ "Mallard demoted, Burton out". The Dominion Post. 31 October 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ "Official Count Results – Rotorua". Chief Electoral Office. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ Young, Audrey (4 May 2007). "Boundary changes reflect population shift". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ Johnston, Martin (3 July 2010). "MP's bill aims for abortion on demand". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ "Election Results – Rotorua". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ^ Matthew Martin (27 November 2011). "Election 2011: Rotorua's Chadwick resigns". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ^ "Members of Executive Council Appointed". The New Zealand Gazette (7707). The Department of Internal Affairs: 3154. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ "Retention of the Title "The Honourable"". The New Zealand Gazette (9578): 5156. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ Martin, Matthew (12 October 2013). "Election 2013: Steve Chadwick is ready for action". Rotorua Daily Post. NZME. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Final election results in". The New Zealand Herald. 13 October 2016. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ "0% general rates rise proposed=". Rotorua Lakes Council. 12 May 2020.
- ^ Desmarais, Felix (28 July 2021). "Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick to stand down after next election". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "New Year Honours: the full list of 2022". New Zealand Herald. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ Palmer, Russell. "Pay equity changes: 'People's select committee' formed to gather evidence instead of 'high-flying cliches'". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Chadwick, Steve (2007). Visit to Australia, 26 November to 1 December 2006: report of the Local Government and Environment Committee (PDF) (Report). Wellington, [N.Z.]: Published under the authority of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 15 April 2008.