Warren Cooper QSO

Queen's Service Order

The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...

 (born 21 February 1933) is a former 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. He was a 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:...

 MP from 1975 to 1996, holding cabinet positions including Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are also Associate Minister roles...

 and Minister of Defence

Minister of Defence (New Zealand)

The Minister of Defence is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand armed forces and the Ministry of Defence.The present Minister is Dr...

. Cooper also twice served as Mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Queenstown

Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....

, from 1968 to 1975 and 1995 to 2001.

Early life

Cooper was born in Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

, but later moved to Queenstown. He worked as a retailer, a signwriting contractor, and a motel

Motel

A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...

 manager, and also became involved in local politics.

Member of Parliament

He was first elected to Parliament in the 1975 elections

New Zealand general election, 1975

The 1975 New Zealand general election was held to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It was the first election in New Zealand where 18-20 year olds and all permanent residents of New Zealand were eligible to vote, although only citizens were able to be...

 as MP for Otago, defeating the newly elected Ian Quigley

Ian Quigley

Ian Terence Quigley was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.-Member of Parliament:Ian Quigley represented the Otago Central electorate from 1972 to 1975, when he was defeated...

 of the Labour Party

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....

. In 1978, he was appointed to his first ministerial roles, most notably Minister of Tourism. When Brian Talboys

Brian Talboys

Sir Brian Edward Talboys, CH, KCB, AC, is a former New Zealand politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister for the first two terms of Robert Muldoon's premiership. If the abortive "Colonels' Coup" against Muldoon had been successful, Talboys would have become Prime Minister himself.-Early...

 retired from Parliament in 1981, Cooper was appointed to replace him as Minister of Foreign Affairs — he held this position until the government of Robert Muldoon

Robert Muldoon

Sir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National Party. Muldoon had been a prominent member of the National party and MP for the Tamaki electorate for some years prior to becoming leader of the party...

 was defeated in 1984. Later, in the government of Jim Bolger

Jim Bolger

James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...

, Cooper served as Minister of Defence. Cooper remained in Parliament until the 1996 elections

New Zealand general election, 1996

The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...

, when he stepped aside in favour of Gavan Herlihy

Gavan Herlihy

Gavan Herlihy is a former New Zealand politician. He was educated at St. Kevin's College and Canterbury University. He was a member of Parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2002.-Member of Parliament:...

.

Mayor

Cooper was Mayor of Queenstown Borough Council from 1968 to 1975, and Mayor of Queenstown Lakes District Council from 1995 to 2001. He was involved in a public argument with actor Sam Neill

Sam Neill

Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III....

in 2000, over development in Queenstown.