Hon Katherine O'Regan

• Minister of Consumer Affairs
• Minister of Youth Affairs
• Associate Minister of Health
• Associate Minister of Women's Affairs
• Associate Minister of Social Welfare
• MP, Waipa

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Biography

Responsibilities:
Minister of Consumer Affairs responsible for consumer protection policy, including consumer safety, delivery of consumer advice, and education and information services and responsible for accurate weight and measure.

Minister of Youth Affairs responsible for the provision of policy advice to Government on issues relating to young people from 12 to 25 years, the communication of information to young people to facilitate their involvement in society and the administration of the Conservation Corps and Youth Service Corps programmes.

Associate Minister of Health responsible for population health, disability support, mental health, communical disease control, non-communicable diseases, health consumer rights, licensing of old people’s homes and private hospitals, food and nutrition, workforce issues, international health, dental services in the area of operational issues, maternity services in the area of operational issues and consumer safety projects.

Associate Minister of Social Welfare responsible for service delivery in respect of the New Zealand Community Funding Agency, contracting for the provision of social services which include services for people with disabilities, services to families in need of support and community welfare.

Associate Minister of Women’s Affairs responsible for policy advice and information services.

Parliamentary Service:

• Minister of the Crown from 1990
• Member of Parliament for Waipa from 1984 - 1996
• List Member of Parliament from 1996

• Member of Cabinet Committee on Education, Training and Employment
• Member of Cabinet Committee on Social Policy
• Member of Cabinet Committee on Enterprise, Industry and Environment
• Member of Parliamentary Social Services Select Committee
• Member of Officers of Parliament Select Committee

• Food Amendment Act No. 1 and 2, 1996
• Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1996
• Medical Practitioners Act 1996
• Introduced the Credit (Repossession) Bill 1996
• Established the Trade Measurement Unit 1995
• Encouraged the establishment of the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman’s Office 1994
• Human Rights Act (Elimination of Discrimination) 1993
• Consumer Guarantees Act 1993
• Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992
• Product Safety Standard for Bicycles 1992
• Amendments to the Weights and Measures Act 1991

• Presented 2nd New Zealand Report to the United Nations Committee on the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) New York 1994
• Leader of NZ Delegation to Cairo, UN Conference on Population & Development 1995
• Member of Delegation to 1st International Parliamentary Union Conference for Women Parliamentarians, Geneva
• Numerous Ministerial Meetings with Australian Ministers on Portfolio areas
• 1985 Member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Team to tour Australia
• 1985 Member of the New Zealand Youth Delegation to China