View source for Georgina te Heuheu

{{Short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Honourable]]
| name                = Dame Georgina te Heuheu
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|DNZM|QSO|size=100%}}
| image               = File:Georgina te Heuheu.jpg
| caption             = Te Heuheu in 2018
| order               = 3rd [[Minister for Courts]]
| term_start          = 31 August 1998
| term_end            = 10 December 1999
| primeminister       = [[Jenny Shipley]]
| predecessor         = [[Wyatt Creech]]
| successor           = [[Matt Robson]]
| term_start1         = 19 November 2008
| term_end1           = 12 December 2011
| primeminister1      = [[John Key]]
| predecessor1        = [[Rick Barker]]
| successor1          = [[Chester Borrows]]
| order2              = Minister of Pacific Island Affairs
| term_start2         = 19 November 2008
| term_end2           = 12 December 2011
| primeminister2      = [[John Key]]
| predecessor2        = [[Winnie Laban]]
| successor2          = [[Hekia Parata]]
| constituency_MP3    = [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]] List
| parliament3         = New Zealand
| majority3           = 
| predecessor3        = 
| successor3          = 
| term_start3         = 1996
| term_end3           = 2011
| birth_name          = Georgina Manunui
| birth_date          = {{Birth year and age|1943}}
| birth_place         = Taurewa, New Zealand
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| spouse              = Timi te Heuheu ({{abbr|d.|died}} 2012)
| party               = [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]]
| relations           = {{nowrap|[[Tumu te Heuheu]] (brother-in-law)}}<br>[[Hepi Te Heuheu]] (father-in-law)
| children            = 2
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = [[Victoria University of Wellington]]
| occupation          = Lawyer
| profession          = 
| religion            = 
| signature           = 
| website             = 
| footnotes           = 
}}
'''Dame Georgina Manunui te Heuheu''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|DNZM|QSO|size=85%}} (née '''Manunui''', born 1943) is a New Zealand [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]] politician. She was a [[Member of parliament|Member of Parliament]] (MP) between 1996 and 2011, and a [[Cabinet Minister]] in the [[New Zealand Government]].

==Early life==
Born Georgina Manunui in 1943, she is the daughter of George Manunui of Waitahanui. She is a member of the [[Ngāti Tuwharetoa]] tribe of the central [[North Island]] and is also related to [[Te Arawa]] and [[Tuhoe]] tribes. She was born and raised at Taurewa, near [[Mount Tongariro]], and received her secondary schooling at [[Turakina Maori Girls' College]] (1956–59) and [[Auckland Girls' Grammar School]] (1960–61). 

She graduated from [[Victoria University of Wellington]] with a BA in English and an [[LLB]], being the first [[Māori people|Māori]] woman to gain a law degree and be admitted to the [[High Court of New Zealand|High Court]] as barrister and solicitor.<ref name="Beehive bio">{{cite web|title=Hon Georgina te Heuheu QSO |url=http://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/georgina+te+heuheu?bio=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521222143/http://beehive.govt.nz/minister/georgina+te+heuheu?bio=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 May 2010 |publisher=New Zealand Government |access-date=18 October 2010 }}</ref>

==Professional life==
Before being elected to Parliament, te Heuheu practised law in [[Wellington]] and [[Rotorua]]. She was a member of the [[Waitangi Tribunal]] (1986–96).<ref name="National bio">{{cite web |title=Hon Georgina te Heuheu QSO – Biography |url=http://www.national.org.nz/Bio.aspx?Id=36 |publisher=National Party |access-date=18 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525190756/http://www.national.org.nz/Bio.aspx?Id=36 |archive-date=25 May 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Member of Parliament==
{{NZ parlbox header|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox
 |start      = [[1996 New Zealand general election|1996]]
 |end        = 1999
 |term       = 45th
 |electorate = List
 |list       = 7
 |party      = New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
 |start      = [[1999 New Zealand general election|1999]]
 |end        = 2002
 |term       = 46th
 |electorate = List
 |list       = 6
 |party      = New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
 |start      = [[2002 New Zealand general election|2002]]
 |end        = 2005
 |term       = 47th
 |electorate = List
 |list       = 6
 |party      = New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
 |start      = [[2005 New Zealand general election|2005]]
 |end        = 2008
 |term       = 48th
 |electorate = List
 |list       = 19
 |party      = New Zealand National Party
}}
{{NZ parlbox
 |term       = 49th
 |start      = {{NZ election link year|2008}}
 |end        = 2011
 |electorate = [[Party lists in the 2008 New Zealand general election#National Party|List]]
 |party      = New Zealand National Party
 |list       = 17
}}
{{NZ parlbox footer}}
Georgina te Heuheu was first elected to Parliament in 1996.<ref name="Women in Parliament">{{cite web|title=Women in parliament 1933 – 2005 |url=http://www.elections.org.nz/study/education-centre/women-in-parliament.html |publisher=Elections New Zealand |access-date=14 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208182924/http://www.elections.org.nz/study/education-centre/women-in-parliament.html |archive-date=8 February 2013 }}</ref>

She was the Minister for Courts and for Women's Affairs (1998–1999) during the [[Fourth National Government of New Zealand|Fourth National Party Government]].<ref name="Te Heuheu parliamentary listing">{{cite web|title=Hon Georgina te Heuheu |url=http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/MPs/1/5/e/49MP12341-te-Heuheu-Georgina.htm |publisher=New Zealand Parliament|access-date=17 October 2010 }}</ref>

Speculation about her future arose in 2004 after she criticised then leader [[Don Brash]]'s [[Orewa Speech]]. Questioned some weeks later, she refused to rule out the possibility that she might switch allegiance to the new [[Māori Party]], which had formed after the resignation of [[Tariana Turia]].

However she remained with National for the [[2005 New Zealand general election|2005 election]] and served as a backbencher for the party, serving as a Spokeswoman for Broadcasting, Associate Spokeswoman for Defence, Treaty of Waitangi Issues and Māori Affairs (Māori Development).

From 19 November 2008 until the 2011 election she was the Minister for Courts, Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, [[Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control]], and Associate Minister of Māori Affairs in the National Party Government led by [[John Key]]. Te Heuheu announced she would retire at the [[2011 New Zealand general election|2011 election]].<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_4985607">{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4985607/Georgina-te-Heuheu-to-retire |title=Georgina te Heuheu to retire |date=10 May 2011 |publisher=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |access-date=1 October 2011}}</ref>

==Life after Parliament==
Te Heuheu was appointed chairwoman of [[Māori Television]] in 2012 and now also sits on several Māori Trust Boards and Charity Committees including the Tuwharetoa Māori Trust Board.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.maoritelevision.com/about/about-maori-television/board-executive/georgina-te-heuheu|title=Georgina te Heuheu|website=Maoritelevision.com|access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> In her capacity as chairwoman she has been leading a review of Māori Television services and its operational structure to see whether better outcomes can be achieved for the station.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/syspages/--headline--.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215121757/http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/syspages/--headline--.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 December 2016|title=Māori TV confirms review of operations|date=9 July 2014|access-date=2 January 2018|newspaper=[[Newshub]] }}</ref>

==Private life==
She married Timoti ("Timi") te Heuheu, brother of Sir [[Tumu te Heuheu]], a Ngāti Tuwharetoa leader and son of Sir [[Hepi Te Heuheu]]. He died in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10819157|title=Māori statesman Timoti te HeuHeu dies of cancer|date=12 July 2012|access-date=2 January 2018|website=The New Zealand Herald}}</ref> They had two sons.<ref name="Te Heuheu parliamentary listing" />

==Honours==
In the [[1993 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)|1993 Queen's Birthday Honours]], te Heuheu was appointed a [[Queen's Service Order|Companion of the Queen's Service Order]] for public services.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue=53334 | date=12 June 1993 | page=38| supp=3}}</ref> In the [[2018 New Year Honours (New Zealand)|2018 New Year Honours]], she was appointed a [[New Zealand Order of Merit|Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit]], for services to the state and Māori.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2018 | title=New Year honours list 2018 |date=30 December 2017 | publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | access-date=18 January 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[First women lawyers around the world]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110628184144/http://www.national.org.nz/MP.aspx?Id=36 Profile] at National party
*{{MPLinksNZ | parliament = MPs/1/5/e/49MP12341-te-Heuheu-Georgina.htm | beehive = georgina-te-heuheu | theywork = georgina_te_heuheu }}

{{Fifth National Government of New Zealand}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Te Heuheu, Georgina}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand National Party MPs]]
[[Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni]]
[[Category:Women government ministers of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Māori MPs]]
[[Category:20th-century New Zealand lawyers]]
[[Category:Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit]]
[[Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order]]
[[Category:People educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School]]
[[Category:New Zealand list MPs]]
[[Category:Ngāti Tūwharetoa people]]
[[Category:Māori politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand women politicians]]
[[Category:Women members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the Waitangi Tribunal]]
[[Category:Te Heuheu family]]
[[Category:New Zealand Māori women lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand women lawyers]]
[[Category:New Zealand Māori lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand lawyers]]
[[Category:20th-century New Zealand women lawyers]]
[[Category:Lawyers awarded damehoods]]