John Banks (New Zealand politician)
John Archibald Banks CNZM QSO JP (born 2 December 1946) is a New Zealand former politician. He was a member of Parliament for the National Party from 1981 to 1999, and for ACT New Zealand from 2011 to 2014. He was a Cabinet Minister from 1990 to 1996 and 2011 to 2013. He left Parliament after being convicted of filing a false electoral return – a verdict which was later overturned.
The Honourable John Banks CNZM QSO JP | |
|---|---|
| Leader of ACT New Zealand | |
| In office 16 February 2012 – 1 March 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Don Brash |
| Succeeded by | Jamie Whyte |
| 38th Mayor of Auckland City | |
| In office 1 November 2007 – 31 October 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Dick Hubbard |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished Len Brown (as Mayor of Auckland) |
| In office 1 November 2001 – 31 October 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Christine Fletcher |
| Succeeded by | Dick Hubbard |
| 29th Minister of Police | |
| In office 2 November 1990 – 2 March 1994 | |
| Prime Minister | Jim Bolger |
| Preceded by | Richard Prebble |
| Succeeded by | John Luxton |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Whangarei | |
| In office 28 November 1981 – 27 November 1999 | |
| Preceded by | John Elliott |
| Succeeded by | Phil Heatley |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Epsom | |
| In office 12 December 2011 – 8 June 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Rodney Hide |
| Succeeded by | David Seymour |
| Minister for Small Business | |
| In office 12 December 2011 – October 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | John Key |
| Preceded by | Maurice Williamson |
| Succeeded by | Steven Joyce |
| Minister for Regulatory Reform | |
| In office 12 December 2011 – October 2013 | |
| Prime Minister | John Key |
| Preceded by | Rodney Hide |
| Succeeded by | Bill English |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Archibald Banks 2 December 1946 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Political party | ACT New Zealand |
| Other political affiliations | National Party (until 2011) |
| Spouse | Amanda Medcalf |
| Children | 4 |
In between his tenures in Parliament, he served as Mayor of Auckland City for two terms, from 2001 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2010. When seven former smaller councils were combined into one to run the Auckland 'supercity' in 2010, Banks unsuccessfully ran for mayor again. The electoral return that he filed after that campaign, detailing donations received and campaign expenses, was the subject of Banks' conviction and eventual acquittal. After new evidence came to light, it was decided in May 2015 that there would be no retrial.