Tracey Martin

Tracey Anne Martin is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives. She is a member of the New Zealand First Party and served as Deputy Leader from 2013 to 2015. She is currently minister of Children, Seniors, Internal Affairs and associate minister of education.

The Honourable

Tracey Martin

MP
35th Minister of Internal Affairs
Assumed office
26 October 2017
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byPeter Dunne
2nd Minister for Children
Assumed office
26 October 2017
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byAnne Tolley
Minister for Seniors
Assumed office
26 October 2017
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byMaggie Barry
3rd Deputy Leader of New Zealand First
In office
2013–2015
LeaderWinston Peters
Preceded byPeter Brown
Succeeded byRon Mark
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for New Zealand First party list
Assumed office
26 November 2011
Personal details
Born1st July 1964
Levin
NationalityNew Zealander
Political partyNew Zealand First
Spouse(s)Ben
ChildrenThree
WebsiteNZ First profile

Prior to entering Parliament

Her pre-children profession was as a Credit Controller. For the next 15 years, prior to entering Parliament, Martin was a stay at home parent and was very active in the Warkworth community. She spent a significant amount of time on parent-based fundraising and volunteer committees for Mahurangi Kindergarten, Warkworth Primary School and Mahurangi College.

In her own time, outside of Parliament, Martin served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Mahurangi College for over a decade before resigning when she became the Associate Minister for Education in 2018.[1]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2011–2014 50th List 2 NZ First
2014–2017 51st List 2 NZ First
2017–present 52nd List 3 NZ First

Martin has been involved with New Zealand First since the party started in 1993, and has been a member of its board of directors since 2008. She was selected as a candidate for the 2008 general election.[2] She successfully stood for the Rodney Local Board during the 2010 Auckland Council elections.[3]

Fifth National Government, 2011–2017

Martin was first elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives during the 2011 general election and was subsequently appointed as deputy leader of New Zealand First.[4] She was first elected to Parliament as a New Zealand First list MP based in Warkworth, in 2011.[5]

Along with all other New Zealand First MPs, Martin voted against the Marriage Amendment Act, which permits same-sex marriage in New Zealand, in 2013.[6] New Zealand First requested that the bill become a referendum issue however the request was denied.

On 3 July 2015 it was announced that Martin had been replaced as deputy leader following a caucus vote and replaced by Ron Mark.[7]

In 2015 Martin sponsored the Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill.[8] The bill gave unsupported child or orphan clothing allowance parity with foster children.[8] She has also been a strong advocate for the expansion of this allowance so that it can be accessed by kin carers.[9]

During the 2017 election, Martin was re-elected on the New Zealand First party list.[10] The party won 7.2 percent of the vote and nine seats.[11]

Sixth Labour Government, 2017–present

Following the formation of a Labour-NZ First coalition government, Martin was as appointed Minister for Children, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Seniors, and Associate Minister of Education.[12] Martin has also been NZ First spokesperson for broadcasting, communications and IT, education and women's affairs.[13]

Following an attempted "uplifting" by Oranga Tamariki social workers of a child in Hastings in June 2019, the Minister for Children Martin met with local iwi Ngāti Kahungunu and the Māori Council.[14] She also announced that the Government would be conducting a review into the Hawkes Bay attempted uplifting incident.[15][16] In early August 2019, Martin announced that the Government would be scrapping its Children's Teams task forces in response to the uplifting controversy but rejected comparisons with the Australian "Stolen Generations".[17]

According to media reports, Martin participated in several months of negotiations with the Labour Party over the Government's proposed Abortion Legislation Bill, which seeks to remove abortion from the Crimes Act 1961. Despite initially ruling out a referendum, NZ First leader Winston Peters surprised both Martin and Labour by demanding a binding referendum on abortion reform in return for supporting the legislation through Parliament. Peter's actions were criticised by both the Minister of Justice Andrew Little, who initiated the legislation, opposition National MP Amy Adams, and left-wing blogger Martyn "Bomber" Bradbury.[18][19][20][21][22] Martin voted in favour of the Government's abortion legislation bill, which passed its first reading on 8 August 2019.[23]

On 14 March 2020, it was reported that Martin was self-isolating and being tested for the COVID-19 virus after meeting with Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, during a Five Eyes ministerial meeting in Washington, D.C. the previous week.[24][25]

Personal life

Martin and her husband have three children.[26]

Martin has described her mother as the New Zealander that she most admires as a brave woman who has not been afraid to stand up for her belief and opinions.[27]

Martin's grandfather was a guard at the Featherston prisoner of war camp during the Featherston Incident in 1943.[28] His gun was taken by another member of staff who shot an interpreter at the camp by the name of Adachi. This incident started a riot in which 48 Japanese prisoners of war and one New Zealand guard died.[28]

Martin has taken a pro-choice stance on abortion, supporting efforts to remove it from the Crimes Act 1961. Martin's views on abortion was affected by the death of her grandmother Beverley Williams during a backstreet abortion.[29][30]

References
  1. "Movers, shakers & policy makers – Tracey Martin, Associate Minister of Education — EducationHQ New Zealand". Nz.educationhq.com. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  2. "Peters' new kid plunges into fray". New Zealand Herald. 4 February 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  3. "Rodney Local Board". Local Boards. Auckland Council. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  4. "'Big boys' trying to keep me out - Peters". New Zealand Herald. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  5. "Official Count Results -- Successful Candidates -- 2011 general election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  6. "Marriage equality bill: How MPs voted". The New Zealand Herald. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  7. Jones, Nicholas (3 July 2015). "Ron Mark new NZ First deputy leader". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  8. "Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill - New Zealand Parliament". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. Owen, Lisa (12 November 2017). "The Nation: Lisa Owen interviews Tracey Martin". The Nation. Scoop. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  10. "2017 General Election – Successful candidates". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  11. "2017 General Election – Overall Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  12. "Hon Tracey Martin". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  13. "Four NZ First MPs (and Winston) grab plumb jobs in government line-up". Newshub. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  14. Collins, Simon (15 June 2019). "Children's Minister steps into Oranga Tamariki baby uplift case". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  15. "Inquiry announced into handling of attempted uplift of a baby in Hawke's Bay last month by Oranga Tamariki". 1 News. 16 June 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  16. Martin, Tracey (18 June 2019). "Oranga Tamariki Review". New Zealand Government. Scoop. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  17. Vance, Andrea (4 August 2019). "Tracey Martin on uplift controversy: Oranga Tamariki 'believed the child was in danger'". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  18. Patterson, Jane (8 August 2019). "Abortion legislation: 'It wasn't part of our coalition agreement so why is it there' – Winston Peters". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  19. Jancic, Boris (6 August 2019). "NZ First blindsides Andrew Little with talk of abortion referendum". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  20. Cooke, Henry (6 August 2019). "Winston Peters suggests NZ First want binding referendum on abortion". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  21. Moir, Jo (7 August 2019). "Abortion reform: "no deal" on NZ First referendum call". Radio New Zealand. Scoop. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  22. "Wow – what NZ First just did to Tracey Martin was the coldest most spiteful political kneecapping in NZ history". The Daily Blog. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  23. Whyte, Anna (8 August 2019). "Abortion law reform easily passes first reading in Parliament". 1 News. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  24. "NZ First MP Tracey Martin self-isolating, being tested for coronavirus". 1 News. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  25. Cooke, Henry (14 March 2020). "Coronavirus: Tracey Martin met with infected Australian Minister Peter Dutton six days ago". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  26. Mahurangi College. "Tracey Martin". Mahurangi College News and Events. Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  27. "Rodney candidates unplugged: Tracey Martin of New Zealand First". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  28. "In grandad's honour". Wairarapa Times Age. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  29. Jancic, Boris (9 August 2019). "NZ First MP Tracey Martin tells of backstreet abortion that killed her grandmother". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  30. Bracewell-Worrall, Anna (9 August 2019). "NZ First MP Tracey Martin shares tragic personal connection to backstreet abortion". Newshub. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by
Peter Dunne		 Minister of Internal Affairs
2017–present		 Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Peter Brown		 Deputy leader of New Zealand First
2009–2015		 Succeeded by
Ron Mark
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