Catherine Joan "Kate" Wilkinson (3 August 1957) is a New Zealand

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...

 politician, and currently serves as a member of Parliament.

Biography

Wilkinson is from Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, and gained a law degree from the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

. She worked as a lawyer for 25 years with a Christchurch firm. In the 2005 election

New Zealand general election, 2005

The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...

, Wilkinson was a candidate for the National Party

New Zealand National Party

The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

, standing in the Waimakariri

Waimakariri (New Zealand electorate)

Waimakariri is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, formed in 1996 and returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Waimakariri is Clayton Cosgrove of the Labour Party. He has held this position since the 1999 election...

 electorate and ranked 38th on the party list. She entered Parliament as a list MP. She has made a successful start to her career in politics, rising to 28th on the list, and eventually becoming a Cabinet minister. Although unsuccessful in terms of electorate vote again (losing to incumbent Clayton Cosgrove

Clayton Cosgrove

Clayton James Cosgrove is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party.-Early life:Cosgrove was born in Nelson, New Zealand. He received a BA, in American Studies and Political Science, from the University of Canterbury in 1992 and received an MBA in 1996...

 of the Labour

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

 Party by 390 votes in the 2008 election

New Zealand general election, 2008

The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...

 - the second narrowest margin in the country), National won a commanding margin in the party vote.

External links

• Kate Wilkinson MP official site
• Profile at National party