Colin Craig
Encyclopedia
Colin Craig is a New Zealand
businessman and the founding leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand
. Craig is currently a millionaire who owns companies which manage high-rise buildings. His current company manages about $1.3 billion of assets.
and raised in the suburb of Howick
. He graduated from the University of Auckland
with Bachelor of Commerce
and Bachelor of Arts
degrees, before completing post-graduate study at Massey University
. He has one daughter with his wife Helen. His father, Ross Craig, was a Rodney District
councillor until 2010.
While Craig says that the Conservative Party does not intend to "legislate morality", he is a Christian and does not personally support homosexuality or common-law marriage
s.
on the "anti-smacking" law. Despite spending $450,000 on organising the march, it attracted only 5,000 participants. In 2010 Craig contested the Auckland Mayoral election, finishing third.
In 2011 Craig announced the formation of the Conservative Party. In September 2011, he announced he would stand in the Rodney
electorate for the 2011 general election
. After pre-election polling in this electorate, Craig claimed to have 47% support while National Party candidate Mark Mitchell had 36.3%. Prime Minister and National Party leader John Key said that the Conservative Party faced a "massive hurdle" to get a seat in Parliament. According to preliminary election results, Mitchell won the seat comfortably with 52.6% of the vote, and Colin Craig came second with 21.4% of the vote. The Conservative Party also won 2.76% of the vote nation-wide, the fifth largest share of any party, but still insufficient to enter Parliament.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
businessman and the founding leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand
Conservative Party of New Zealand
The Conservative Party of New Zealand is a political party founded in New Zealand in August 2011. It advocates social conservatism, the repeal of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme and the child discipline law, and the use of binding referenda...
. Craig is currently a millionaire who owns companies which manage high-rise buildings. His current company manages about $1.3 billion of assets.
Personal life
Craig was born in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
and raised in the suburb of Howick
Howick, New Zealand
Howick is an eastern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, forming part of what is sometimes called East Auckland. Due to the relatively numerous remaining heritage buildings and other historical remnants from its early European settlement past, it has been called "perhaps Auckland's most historically...
. He graduated from the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
with Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
and Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees, before completing post-graduate study at Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
. He has one daughter with his wife Helen. His father, Ross Craig, was a Rodney District
Rodney District
The Rodney District of New Zealand was a local government area in the northernmost part in New Zealand's Auckland Region, created in 1989 from the amalgamation of Helensville Borough and Rodney County. The seat of the district council is at Orewa, and the district includes Kawau Island to the...
councillor until 2010.
While Craig says that the Conservative Party does not intend to "legislate morality", he is a Christian and does not personally support homosexuality or common-law marriage
Common-law marriage
Common-law marriage, sometimes called sui juris marriage, informal marriage or marriage by habit and repute, is a form of interpersonal status that is legally recognized in limited jurisdictions as a marriage even though no legally recognized marriage ceremony is performed or civil marriage...
s.
Political career
Craig first emerged as a conservative activist in 2009 when he organised a "march for democracy" to demand the government adhere to the recent referendumNew Zealand citizens-initiated referendum, 2009
The New Zealand corporal punishment referendum, 2009 was held in New Zealand from 31 July to 21 August, and was a citizens-initiated referendum on parental corporal punishment...
on the "anti-smacking" law. Despite spending $450,000 on organising the march, it attracted only 5,000 participants. In 2010 Craig contested the Auckland Mayoral election, finishing third.
In 2011 Craig announced the formation of the Conservative Party. In September 2011, he announced he would stand in the Rodney
Rodney (New Zealand electorate)
rightRodney is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Rodney is Mark Mitchell of the National Party...
electorate for the 2011 general election
New Zealand general election, 2011
The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party...
. After pre-election polling in this electorate, Craig claimed to have 47% support while National Party candidate Mark Mitchell had 36.3%. Prime Minister and National Party leader John Key said that the Conservative Party faced a "massive hurdle" to get a seat in Parliament. According to preliminary election results, Mitchell won the seat comfortably with 52.6% of the vote, and Colin Craig came second with 21.4% of the vote. The Conservative Party also won 2.76% of the vote nation-wide, the fifth largest share of any party, but still insufficient to enter Parliament.