Hon Jim Anderton

Deputy Prime Minister, ALLIANCE PARTY

Jim Anderton is the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Industry and Regional Development. He is also the Minister in charge of Public Trust, Acting Minister of Customs, Acting Minister of Consumer Affairs and MP for Wigram.

Before entering Parliament in 1984, he was chief executive of a successful manufacturing engineering company. Before that he was export manager at UEB Textiles, at the time New Zealand's largest carpet manufacturing company.

He started his political career in local body politics, serving on both the Manukau and Auckland City Councils and was also a member of the Auckland Regional Authority.

Between 1979 and 1984, Jim Anderton was President of the NZ Labour Party. He resigned from the Labour Party in 1989, forming the NewLabour Party. When he won the Sydenham seat for NewLabour in 1990 he became the first MP ever to stand against his old party and win.

In December 1999 Jim Anderton became Deputy Prime Minister on the election of the Labour-Alliance Coalition Government.

His interests include cricket and golf, and he is the author of a book of essays called Unsung Heroes.