Paul Swain (politician)

The Honourable
Paul Swain
QSO
The Honourable Paul Swain QSO
	Swain in 2020
50th Minister of Immigration
	In office; 21 February 2004 – 19 October 2005
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Lianne Dalziel
Succeeded by	David Cunliffe
6th Minister of Corrections
	In office; 19 May 2003 – 19 October 2005
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Mark Gosche
Succeeded by	Pete Hodgson
20th Minister of Transport
	In office; 27 July 2002 – 26 February 2004
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Mark Gosche
Succeeded by	Damien O'Connor
5th Minister of Commerce
	In office; 10 December 1999 – 15 August 2002
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Preceded by	Max Bradford
Succeeded by	Lianne Dalziel
Member of the New Zealand Parliament; for Rimutaka
	In office; 12 October 1996 – 8 November 2008
Preceded by	new constituency
Succeeded by	Chris Hipkins
Member of the New Zealand Parliament; for Eastern Hutt
	In office; 27 October 1990 – 12 October 1996
Preceded by	Trevor Young
Succeeded by	discontinued constituency
Personal details
Born	20 December 1951 (age 72); Palmerston North, New Zealand
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Toni Reeves
Children	5

Paul Desmond Swain QSO (born 20 December 1951) is a former New Zealand politician. He was a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1990 until 2008, representing the Labour Party. From 2010 to 2019, he was a councillor on the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Early life

Swain was born in Palmerston North on 20 December 1951. He attended St. Patrick's College in Wellington. He obtained a BA from Victoria University of Wellington.^[1] Swain has two daughters and a son with his wife Toni Reeves-Swain, and two sons from an earlier marriage.^[2]

Before entering politics, he worked for the Ministry of Social Development from 1975 to 1976 before becoming a bus driver for the Wellington City Council in 1976. He then changed professions again, working as a teacher from 1978 to 1982. In 1987 he became a research officer for the New Zealand Federation of Labour (later Council of Trade Unions) until 1990 when he was elected to parliament.^[2]

He was the employee coordinator for the Wellington YMCA from 1982 to 1986 and was also chairman of the Wellington Regional Employment and ACCESS Council.^[2] At the 1986 local elections he stood for the Wellington Regional Council on the Labour Party ticket. He polled well but did not win a seat.^[3]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List
1990–1993	43rd	Eastern Hutt		Labour
1993–1996	44th	Eastern Hutt		Labour
1996–1999	45th	Rimutaka	none	Labour
1999–2002	46th	Rimutaka	26	Labour
2002–2005	47th	Rimutaka	18	Labour
2005–2008	48th	Rimutaka	17	Labour

He was MP for the seat of Eastern Hutt from the 1990 election until the 1996 election, when the electorate boundaries were changed and it became Rimutaka. He won Rimutaka in 1996^[4] and held the seat until the 2008 election, which he did not contest, retiring from national politics.^[5]

In November 1990 he was appointed as Labour's spokesperson for Forestry by Labour leader Mike Moore.^[6] In a December 1991 reshuffle Swain was given the Housing portfolio as well.^[7] He supported Helen Clark's successful leadership challenge against Moore in 1993.^[8] He retained housing and lost forestry, but later also became spokesperson for accident compensation between 1993 and 1996.^[9] From 1996 to 1999 Swain was Shadow Minister of Commerce and State Owned Enterprises.^[10] His select committee memberships included postings on the commerce committee; foreign affairs, defence and trade committee; and finance and expenditure committee.^[1]

Minister

Swain has held a number of ministerial portfolios, including Associate Minister of Finance, Minister of Commerce, Minister of Communications, Minister of Corrections, Minister of Immigration, Minister for Information Technology, Minister of Labour, Minister of Statistics, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Minister of Transport, and Associate Minister for Economic Development.^[11]

After the 2005 election, Swain decided not to seek a Cabinet post in the new government.^[12]^[13]

Life after politics

In the 2009 New Year Honours, Swain was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order, for services as a Member of Parliament.^[14]

In 2009, he was employed by the Crown as their lead negotiator for a settlement of historical grievances with Ngāti Porou.^[15]

He was elected to the Greater Wellington Regional Council, in the Upper Hutt constituency, in 2010 and was re-elected in 2013 and 2016. In July 2019, Swain announced he would not seek a fourth term on the council.^[16]

In 2016, he became chairman of the New Zealand Fire Service; now Fire and Emergency New Zealand.^[17]

References

^ ^a ^b "Swain, Paul - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c Who's Who in the New Zealand Parliament 1993. Wellington: Parliamentary Service. 1993. p. 77.
^ Bly, Ross (24 October 1986). Declaration of Election Results (Report). Wellington City Council.
^ "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place – Rimutaka" (PDF). Retrieved 6 July 2013.
^ "Paul Swain leaves Parliament with sense of humour intact". New Zealand Press Association. The National Business Review. 25 September 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
^ "All Labour's 29 MPs get areas of responsibility". Otago Daily Times. 28 November 1990. p. 4.
^ "Labour line-up". The New Zealand Herald. 6 December 1991. p. 5.
^ "How they voted in caucus". The New Zealand Herald. 3 December 1993. p. 3.
^ "The Labour Shadow Cabinet". The Dominion. 14 December 1993. p. 2.
^ Boyd, Sarah (20 December 1996). "'Govt in waiting' announced". The Evening Post. p. 2.
^ "Hon Paul Swain – biography". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
^ "Swain not seeking Cabinet post". New Zealand Labour Party. 4 October 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
^ "Swain quits Cabinet ranks for his family". NZ Herald. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
^ "New Year honours list 2009". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
^ "Former Labour cabinet minister takes on Treaty role". NZPA. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
^ "Fourth Wellington regional councillor drops out of local elections". Stuff (Fairfax). 29 July 2019.
^ "NZ Fire Service announces new board chair Paul Swain". Stuff (Fairfax). 25 February 2016.

Political offices
Preceded by Maurice Williamson	Minister of Statistics 1999–2000	Succeeded by Laila Harré
Preceded by John Luxton	Minister for Land Information 1999–2000 2004	Succeeded by Matt Robson
Preceded by John Tamihere	Minister for Land Information 1999–2000 2004	Succeeded by Pete Hodgson
Preceded by Max Bradford	Minister of Commerce 1999–2002	Succeeded by Lianne Dalziel
Preceded by Mark Gosche	Minister of Transport 2002–2004	Succeeded by Pete Hodgson
Preceded by Mark Gosche	Minister of Corrections 2003–2005	Succeeded by Damien O'Connor
Preceded by Lianne Dalziel	Minister of Immigration 2004–2005	Succeeded by David Cunliffe
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Trevor Young	Member of Parliament for Eastern Hutt 1990–1996	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Rimutaka 1996–2008	Succeeded by Chris Hipkins