Jonathan Hunt (New Zealand politician)

New Zealand politician and diplomat (1938–2024)

Jonathan Lucas Hunt ONZ PC (2 December 1938 – 8 March 2024) was a New Zealand politician and diplomat. He was New Zealand's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2005 to March 2008.[1] He was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He is a member of the Labour Party.


Jonathan Hunt

Hunt in 2006
28th High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office
April 2005 – March 2008
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byRussell Marshall
Succeeded byDerek Leask
26th Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
20 December 1999 – 3 March 2005
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byDoug Kidd
Succeeded byMargaret Wilson
16th Minister of Housing
In office
14 August 1989 – 2 November 1990
Prime MinisterGeoffrey Palmer
Mike Moore
Preceded byHelen Clark
Succeeded byJohn Luxton
27th Minister of Tourism
In office
10 January 1988 – 14 August 1989
Prime MinisterDavid Lange
Geoffrey Palmer
Preceded byHelen Clark
Succeeded byFran Wilde
3rd Leader of the House
In office
24 August 1987 – 2 November 1990
Prime MinisterDavid Lange
Geoffrey Palmer
Mike Moore
Preceded byGeoffrey Palmer
Succeeded byPaul East
50th Postmaster-General
In office
26 July 1984 – 24 August 1987
Prime MinisterDavid Lange
Preceded byRob Talbot
Succeeded byRichard Prebble
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for New Lynn
In office
26 November 1966 – 12 October 1996
Preceded byRex Mason
Succeeded byPhil Goff
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour party list
In office
12 October 1996 – 31 March 2005
Succeeded byLesley Soper[a]
Personal details
Born
Jonathan Lucas Hunt

(1938-12-02)2 December 1938
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Died8 March 2024(2024-03-08) (aged 85)
NationalityNew Zealand
Political partyLabour
ProfessionHigh school teacher

Hunt is a member of the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand's highest civilian honour. Hunt was given the nickname the "Minister for Wine and Cheese" after his well-known liking of the combo.[2] Hunt was the patron of the University of Auckland Debating Society.[3] He was a lifelong enthusiast of the sport of cricket and was an administrator of the sport for many years. He was a fan of classical music.

Hunt died on 8 March 2024, at the age of 85.[4]

  1. Normally, list MPs do not have individual predecessors or successors, but Hunt resigned during a sitting parliament and therefore was succeeded by Soper.

References

change
  1. New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade web site
  2. "More than just wine and cheese". Stuff.co.nz. 18 April 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  3. "UoA Debating Society". Debating.co.nz. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  4. Arambepola, Sanda (8 March 2024). "NZ politics live: Former Labour MP Jonathan Hunt dies aged 85". Stuff.