Rt Hon Helen Clark

PRIME MINISTER

The Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, Helen Clark was elected Prime Minister of New Zealand in November 1999. She is also Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and has responsibility for the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and Ministerial services. Her areas of interest include social policy and international affairs.

Since her election as MP for Mt Albert, her parliamentary positions have included those of chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Select Committee, chairperson of the ad hoc Disarmament and Arms Control Select Committee and of the former Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and member of the Government Administration Select Committee. She was convenor of the Government Caucus Committee on External Affairs and Security from 1984-87.

Helen Clark was Minister of Conservation from August 1987 until January 1989. She was Minister of Housing from August 1987 until August 1989. She became Minister of Health in January 1989 and Minister of Labour and Deputy Prime Minister in August 1989. She chaired the Cabinet Social Equity Committee, and was a member of the Cabinet Policy Committee, Cabinet Committee on Chief Executives, Cabinet Economic Development and Employment Committee, Cabinet Expenditure Review Committee, Cabinet State Agencies committee, Cabinet Honours Appointments and Travel Committee, and Cabinet Domestic and External Security Committee.

From October 1990 until December 1993 Helen Clark was Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Opposition spokesperson for Health and Labour, and a member of the Social Services Select Committee and the Labour Select Committee. Helen Clark became Leader of the Opposition on 1 December 1993.

Helen was born in Hamilton in 1950 and was educated at Epsom Girls' Grammar. She attended Epsom Girls Grammar School in Auckland and then studied at Auckland University. She graduated with MA (Hons) in 1974. Her MA and PhD thesis research was on rural political behaviour and representation.

She was a junior lecturer in political studies in Auckland from 1973-75, studied abroad on a University Grants Committee post-graduate scholarship in 1976, and then lectured in political studies at Auckland from 1977 until her election to Parliament in 1981.