Geoff Simmons

Geoff Simmons
Leader of The Opportunities Party
Assumed office
August 2018
Preceded by Gareth Morgan
1st Deputy Leader of The Opportunities Party
In office
24 May 2017 – 14 December 2017
Leader Gareth Morgan
Personal details
Born (1974-12-27) 27 December 1974
Political party TOP
Alma mater University of Auckland

Geoff Simmons (born 27 December 1974) is an economist and was the first Deputy Leader of The Opportunities Party (TOP), a political party in New Zealand. He stood for TOP in the February 2017 Mount Albert by-election, and in the Wellington Central electorate in the September 2017 general election.

Early life

Geoff grew up in Okaihau (Far North) and West Auckland,[1] the son of two teachers.[2] He graduated in economics from the University of Auckland.[3] He worked as an economic analyst for the New Zealand Treasury from 1999 to 2003.[4][3][1] He worked as an economic advisor for the UK Home Office in 2003–05 and then for the East Midlands Development Agency in 2005–08.[4] He was the general manager and an economist for the Morgan Foundation[2] (founded by Gareth Morgan) in Wellington from 2009 to 2016.[3][4][1] He has co-authored four books with Morgan, on health (Health Cheque: The Truth We Should All Know about New Zealand's Public Health System), fishing (Hook, Line and Blinkers: Everything Kiwis Never Wanted to Know about Fishing), Antarctica (Ice, Mice and Men: the Issues Facing our Far South) and food (Appetite for Destruction: Food – the Good, the Bad and the Fatal).[5] He is a Lancet Commission on Obesity Fellow.[6]

Simmons has done acting, including improvisational theatre, since he was at secondary school. He has performed with the Improv Bandits, a professional troupe in Auckland, Best on Tap in Wellington, and Stagecraft at the Gryphon Theatre in Wellington. He teaches with the Wellington Improv Troupe.[3]

Politics

In the February 2017 Mount Albert by-election, he stood as a candidate for the Opportunities Party (TOP), founded by Gareth Morgan.[2][7] He came third, with 623 votes, 4.56% of 13,649 valid votes.[8]

On 24 May 2017, Gareth Morgan announced that Simmons was the deputy leader of TOP and their candidate in the Wellington Central electorate in the September 2017 general election.[9][2]

In December 2017, three months after the election, Morgan resigned as leader and Simmons and two candidates also stepped down from their roles.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Geoff Simmons". TOP.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Manktelow, Tim (14 August 2017). "Interview with Geoff Simmons". Salient. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Not my day job: economic improv". The Big Idea. Te Aria Nui Charitable Trust. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Geoff Simmons". LinkedIn. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "2016 speakers". Farming for the Future. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "Lancet Obesity Fellows". World Obesity Federation. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  7. ↑ Lloyd Burr (1 February 2017). "Opportunities Party reveals Mt Albert candidate, new slogan". Newshub. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "Mt Albert By-election Official Results". Electoral Commission (New Zealand). 8 March 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "Gareth Morgan announces TOP first set of candidates". Scoop. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "TOP loses leader Gareth Morgan and three other candidates in matter of hours". Stuff.co.nz. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
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