Katrina Shanks

The New Zealand politician Katrina Shanks (born 1970) serves as a list member of Parliament for the New Zealand National Party Party. Shanks became a Member of Parliament on 7 February 2007, following the formal resignation of Don Brash from Parliament. [cite news
author = Chief Electoral Office
title = New List MP For National Party
url = http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0702/S00077.htm
work = Scoop
publisher = Scoop Media Group
location =
date = 2007-02-07
accessdate = 2008-07-19
quote = The Chief Electoral Officer has declared KATRINA SHANKS from Wellington to be elected to Parliament from the National Party's list. ] Shanks became her party's Associate Spokeswoman for Commerce and Associate Spokeswoman for Economic Development.

Prior to entering politics, Katrina Shanks worked as a self-employed accountant. She had previously worked as a Project Accountant for the Westpac Banking Corporation, in retail client services for Newton Investment Management in the United Kingdom, and as a Senior Auditor for Audit New Zealand. [National Party: National selects Dunne challenger - 21 December 2004 [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0412/S00233.htm Source] ] Shanks has three children. [
TVNZ: Key unveils more centrist line-up - 1 December 2006 [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425825/908479 Source] ]

Entry into politics

Shanks stood as the National Party candidate for the Ohariu-Belmont electorate against United Future New Zealand leader Peter Dunne at the 2005 general election. In the electorate vote she placed third behind Dunne and Labour's Charles Chauvel, gaining 7,329 votes. However, National's party-vote within the electorate exceeded that of Labour. [NZ Votes.org: Ohariu-Belmont electorate candidates and results [http://www.nzvotes.org/index.cfm/electorates/electorates?id=36 Source] ] The initial results for the election on 17 September 2005 (election night) would have seen Shanks elected as a list MP, however the subsequent counting of special votes, and the reduction in the number of National Party list seats, meant that Shanks did not make it into Parliament. Her list position meant, however, that should any National list MP resign, Shanks would become the new National MP . This happened when former party leader Don Brash resigned on 7 February 2007.

Political views

Trivia

Shanks' father, Graeme Hislop, once stood against National Prime Minister Keith Holyoake as a Social Credit candidate. [cite news
author = NZPA
title = New MP fulfilling dad's dream
url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10413292
work = The New Zealand Herald
publisher = APN News & Media
location = Auckland
date = 2006-12-01
accessdate = 2008-07-19
quote = She is fulfilling a dream of her father, Graham Hislop, who stood for Parliament when he was 36 - the same age Mrs Shanks was during the election campaign last year. ] At that time he had reached the same age (36) as Shanks when she stood for Parliament in 2005.

External links

* [http://www.national.org.nz/MP.aspx?Id=275 Katrina Shanks - New Zealand National Party MP profile]

References