Pansy Wong

Pansy Yu Fong Wong (Chinese: 黃徐毓芳; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Chèuih Yūk-fōng; born 1955[1][2][3]) is a former New Zealand politician. She was New Zealand's first Asian MP, serving as a member of parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2011. She was also New Zealand's first Asian Cabinet Minister, serving as Minister for Ethnic Affairs, Minister of Women's Affairs, Associate Minister for ACC, and Associate Minister of Energy and Resources in the Fifth National Government.

The Honourable
Pansy Wong
黃徐毓芳
Minister of Ethnic Affairs
In office
19 November 2008 – 12 November 2010
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byChris Carter
Succeeded byHekia Parata
10th Minister for Women's Affairs
In office
19 November 2008 – 12 November 2010
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded bySteve Chadwick
Succeeded byGeorgina te Heuheu (acting)
Hekia Parata
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Botany
In office
2008 – 17 January 2011
Preceded bySeat established
Succeeded byJami-Lee Ross
Majority10,872
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for National Party List
In office
1996–2008
Personal details
Born
Tsui Yu Fong
徐毓芳

1955
Shanghai, China
NationalityNew Zealand
Political partyNational Party
SpouseSammy Wong
OccupationBusinessperson

Wong resigned from Parliament in January 2011 after allegations of misusing her Parliamentary travel perks.[4]

Early life

Wong was born in Shanghai and raised in Hong Kong. She attended Queen Elizabeth School, Hong Kong.[5] She emigrated to New Zealand in 1974, and studied commerce at University of Canterbury in Christchurch before embarking on a career in business and accounting. Before entering national politics, she served on the Canterbury Regional Council for seven years until 1996 when she entered parliament as a National List MP. She is married to Malaysian-born businessman Sammy Teck Seng Wong. Wong holds a Master of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Canterbury. She is also a New Zealand Senior Scholar and Associated Chartered Accountant, awarded with fellowship status. She speaks English, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese.

In 1993, Wong was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.[6]

Member of Parliament
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1996–1999 45th List 26 National
1999–2002 46th List 11 National
2002–2005 47th List 10 National
2005–2008 48th List 20 National
2008–2011 49th Botany 18 National

Wong was elected to Parliament as a list MP in the 1996 election, becoming New Zealand's first ethnically Asian MP.

She unsuccessfully contested the electorate of Auckland Central in the 2005 election. During the 48th New Zealand Parliament she served as National's spokesperson for Commerce and Liaison with Asian New Zealanders and associate spokesperson for Education (International Education), Revenue and Immigration.

She won the new seat of Botany in the 2008 election. The Botany electorate included part of the old Clevedon electorate held by Judith Collins, her National Party colleague. Collins had originally indicated to seek nomination for the seat of Howick (which the Electoral Commission later redrew and renamed to Botany following objections to the boundaries to the neighbouring electorate of Pakuranga), but then stood for the Papakura seat, which also shared common boundaries with Clevedon. Wong's decision was based partly on the fact that 33% of the Botany electorate is Asian.[7]

On 12 November 2010 Wong resigned as a Minister after misusing her parliamentary travel perks for a trip to China on which her husband conducted private business activities, which is specifically prohibited.[8]

Wong resigned as an MP on 17 January 2011, resulting in the 2011 Botany by-election.[4][9][10]

On 15 September 2011 Wong was granted the right[11] to retain the title of the Honourable for her lifetime.

References
  1. Alister Taylor (2001). "New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa 2001 Edition". New Zealand Who's Who, Aotearoa. Alister Taylor Publishers: 958. ISSN 1172-9813.
  2. "Wong becomes NZ's first Asian minister". The New Zealand Herald. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  3. "'Debate, not disharmony' in NZ". South China Morning Post. 19 February 1998. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. Derek Cheng (14 December 2010). "Pansy Wong resigns as MP". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  5. "Queen Elizabeth School report: Wong (nee Xu) won 2nd prize in geography" (PDF). 1973. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2012.
  6. "The New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 – register of recipients". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  7. NZPA (7 December 2007). "Pansy Wong tipped for new Auckland seat". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
  8. Tracy Watkins and Martin Kay (12 November 2010). "Pansy Wong resigns Cabinet spot over travel perk". Stuff. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  9. 2011 Botany By-election. Results of the Official Count (16 March 2011) 29 The New Zealand Gazette 795
  10. "Pansy Wong resigns". National Business Review. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  11. Retention of the title 'The Honourable' (15 September 2011) 144 The New Zealand Gazette 4128.
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