Rt Hon Don McKinnon

• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  
• Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control
  
• Minister in Charge of War Pensions
• Minister of Veterans' Affairs
• Associate Minister of Defence
• National List MP

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Biography
The Rt Hon Don McKinnon was elected to Parliament in 1978, and is now one of New Zealand's longest serving Ministers.

Since entering Parliament in 1978, Mr McKinnon has held the following positions:

• Deputy Prime Minister (1990 to 1996)
  
• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1990-present)
  
• Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control (1996-present)
  
• Minister in Charge of War Pensions (Aug 1998-present)
  
• Minister of Pacific Island Affairs (1991-1998)
  
• Leader of the House of Representatives (1992-1996)
  

Mr McKinnon has also held the positions of Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Expenditure and Control, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Subcommittee responsible for investigating State Sector spending and accountability.

Mr McKinnon became a member of the Privy Council in 1992. In 1995 he was made an Honorary Matai of Samoa.

As Foreign Minister, Mr McKinnon has developed close Commonwealth links, at both Governmental and non Governmental levels.

Since its inception in 1995, he has served as the Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), and was appointed to the five member Commonwealth Ministerial Mission on Small States in 1998. He chaired the Commonwealth Small States Meeting at the Auckland CHOGM in 1995.

Mr McKinnon's work with other Commonwealth leaders has been broad-ranging. His key interests, however, have been in:

• enhancing economic opportunities for Commonwealth member states, especially through debt relief and technical assistance transfers.

• promoting Commonwealth youth and education programmes.

• actively supporting the Commonwealth's 'Good Governance' initiatives.

• promoting greater effectiveness and efficiency in Commonwealth institutions.

In 1993/1994, during Mr McKinnon's term as Foreign Minister, New Zealand was elected and served on the United Nations Security Council.

Mr McKinnon has also been widely credited with successfully broking a ceasefire and renewed political dialogue between Bougainvilleans and the Papua New Guinea Government.

In 1998, Mr McKinnon was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his involvement in the resolution of the Bougainville conflict

Before entering politics, Mr McKinnon managed his own real estate business and was a farm management consultant.

For eight years, prior to entering Parliament, Mr McKinnon worked part-time with maximum security prison inmates, tutoring them in rehabilitation programmes. He is a rugby, rugby league and cricket enthusiast and enjoys keeping fit by playing tennis and jogging. He enjoys horse riding when he can.

Mr McKinnon has four adult children from his first marriage. In 1995 he married Clare de Lore, a former public relations consultant and political journalist. They have one child.

Born in London, of New Zealand parents, on 27 February 1939, Mr McKinnon was educated at Nelson College, New Zealand, Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington DC), and Lincoln University, New Zealand.