Hon Peter McCardle

• Minister of Business Development
  
• Minister of Consumer Affairs
  
• Associate Minister of Social Services, Work and Income (Work and Income)
  
• List MP

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Cabinet Economic Committee ECO
Cabinet Social Policy Committee SOC

Biography
Hon. Peter Michael McCardle was born in Te Puke on 28 September 1955, and was educated in Tauranga and Nelson before completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Victoria University of Wellington.

Prior to his election to Parliament, he worked for the New Zealand Employment Service, managing the Wellington, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt Employment Centres during his ten years working with unemployed jobseekers and other beneficiaries. Mr McCardle's experience working with the unemployed was the key motivating force for his entering politics.

He was elected as the National MP for Heretaunga in October 1990, taking a stronghold Labour seat, and held it against the trend in 1993.

In April 1996 Mr McCardle joined the New Zealand First Party, was elected as a List MP in October 1996 and appointed as Minister of Employment in December 1996.

In August 1998 the Coalition Government ended, to be replaced by the current National minority government. Mr McCardle left New Zealand First at that time to become an independent MP, and was appointed Minister of Business Development and Consumer Affairs, and Associate Minister of Social Services, Work and Income in the new Government.

In his role as Associate Minister, he retains his involvement in the introduction of the Community Wage and the establishment of the Department of Work and Income. Both are key parts of the Government's employment strategy which accompany major reforms to the benefit sector.

Evidence of his major commitment to improving New Zealand's employment strategy are the positive results he achieved as an MP with the creation of several local employment initiatives. These include the Upper Hutt Employment Trust he created in 1993, which has employed over 600 workers since its creation. They have been employed on a wide range of positive local projects, including help for low-income households.

Mr McCardle's employment achievements include establishing a comprehensive fresh approach to assisting unemployed jobseekers, the involvement of job seekers in suitable part-time community work and training, a unified 'one stop shop' service[deleted], and a regionalised approach to attacking unemployment.

Parliamentary select committees he has served on between 1990 - 1996 include Social Services, Officers of Parliament, and Labour.

Mr McCardle is married to Anna, and has two young daughters, Elisabeth and Emma.

He enjoys rugby, cricket, and most sports, along with music, reading, fishing and his family.