View source for Rodney Hide

{{short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name = Rodney Hide
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|size=100%}}
| image        = Rodney_Hide_at_parliament.JPG
| order        = 13th [[Minister of Local Government (New Zealand)|Minister of Local Government]]
| term_start   = 19 November 2008
| term_end     = 14 December 2011
| primeminister = [[John Key]]
| predecessor  = [[Nanaia Mahuta]]
| successor    = [[Chris Tremain]]
| order2        = Minister for Regulatory Reform
| term_start2   = 19 November 2008
| term_end2     = 14 December 2011
| primeminister2 = [[John Key]]
| predecessor2  =
| successor2    = [[John Banks (New Zealand politician)|John Banks]]
| order3        = Leader of [[ACT New Zealand]]
| term_start3   = 13 June 2004
| term_end3     = 28 April 2011
| deputy3       = [[Muriel Newman]]<br>[[Heather Roy]]
| predecessor3  = [[Richard Prebble]]
| successor3    = [[Don Brash]]
| constituency_MP4 = [[ACT New Zealand|ACT]] List
| parliament4 = New Zealand
| term_start4 = 12 October 1996
| term_end4 = 17 September 2005
| constituency_MP5 = [[Epsom (New Zealand electorate)|Epsom]]
| parliament5 = New Zealand
| majority5 = 3102 (8.67%)
| predecessor5 = [[Richard Worth]]
| successor5 = [[John Banks (New Zealand politician)|John Banks]]
| term_start5 = 17 September 2005
| term_end5 =  26 November 2011
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|12|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Oxford, New Zealand]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = New Zealand
| spouse = [[Louise Crome]]
| party  = [[ACT New Zealand]]
| relations =
| children = 4
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Economist
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}'''Rodney Philip Hide''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|size=85%}} (born 16 December 1956) is a former New Zealand politician of the [[ACT New Zealand]] party. Hide was a Member of Parliament for ACT from 1996 until 2011, was ACT's leader between 2004 and 2011, and represented the {{NZ electorate link|Epsom}} constituency from 2005 to 2011. In the [[Fifth National Government of New Zealand|Fifth National Government]], Hide was [[Minister of Local Government (New Zealand)|Minister of Local Government]], Associate Minister of Commerce and Minister of Regulatory Reform until 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/vote08/4762929a28435.html|date=17 November 2008|title=New groups part of deals|work=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]]|first=Martin|last=Kay}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

He stepped down as ACT leader in April 2011 after a leadership challenge from [[Don Brash]] and retired from Parliament at the [[2011 New Zealand general election|general election later that year]].<ref name="3news">{{cite web|url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Rodney-Hide-resigns-makes-way-for-Brash/tabid/419/articleID/208855/Default.aspx|title=Rodney Hide resigns, makes way for Brash|work=[[3 News]]|date=27 April 2011|first=Dan|last=Satherley|access-date=28 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001221323/http://www.3news.co.nz/Rodney-Hide-resigns-makes-way-for-Brash/tabid/419/articleID/208855/Default.aspx|archive-date=1 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Early life==
Rodney Philip Hide<ref name="thesis" /> was born in [[Oxford, New Zealand|Oxford]] in [[Canterbury, New Zealand|Canterbury]]. His father, Philip Hide, owned a small mixed-farm at [[Cust, New Zealand|Cust]] and also drove trucks.  In 1960, due to sickness, Philip Hide sold the small farm and moved to [[Rangiora]], continuing to drive trucks until his retirement.  Rodney Hide attended [[Rangiora High School]], before gaining a degree in [[zoology]] and [[botany]] from the [[University of Canterbury]]. After completing his degree, he travelled overseas, eventually finding himself in Scotland. He worked for some time on [[Oil platform|oil rig]]s in the [[North Sea]]. Hide eventually returned to New Zealand by way of Romania, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. In Malaysia he re-met Jiuan Jiuan—with whom he had shared a house in [[Christchurch]]—and the two married in 1983. They were to separate in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10428206|title=Rodney Hide's marriage ends after 23 years|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=11 March 2007|first=Stephen|last=Cook}}</ref>

After returning to New Zealand, Hide gained a degree in [[resource management]] from [[Lincoln University (New Zealand)|Lincoln College, Canterbury]]. He then took up a teaching position at [[Lincoln University (New Zealand)|Lincoln]], first in resource management and later in economics. He completed his master's degree in [[economics]] from [[Montana State University]] with a thesis on New Zealand's transferable fishing quotas.<ref name="thesis">{{cite web|last=Hide|first=Rodney Phillip|title=Monopolizing individual transferable quota: theory and evidence|url= http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/1992/hide/HideR1992.pdf |year=1992 |publisher=Montana State University|access-date=18 August 2012}}</ref>

In 1993, [[Alan Gibbs]], an [[Auckland]] businessman, offered Hide a job as an economist. He accepted, and also began working at a [[radio station]] owned by Gibbs. Later, Hide also met [[Roger Douglas]], a former [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]] whose radical economic reforms [[Rogernomics]] had made a considerable impression on him.

When Douglas established the [[Association of Consumers and Taxpayers]] (which later formed the [[ACT New Zealand|ACT]] party), Hide had close involvement as the organisation's first chairman and president.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hide named first president of Act |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=17 December 1994 |page=5 }}</ref>

==Member of Parliament==
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Hide first entered [[New Zealand Parliament|Parliament]] in 1996 as a [[Party list proportional representation|list MP]]. He won the party parliamentary leadership role in a closely contested [[Partisan primary|primary]] after the retirement of [[Richard Prebble]] in 2004. He then went on to win the Epsom electorate from sitting [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]] MP [[Richard Worth]] in 2005 with the campaign message "ACT is back". He retained this seat in the {{NZ election link|2008}}.

Hide had a reputation for strong views, for his media profile, and for his confrontational style. In 2002, when Hide still sat on the [[back bench]]es, one commentator{{who|date=April 2012}} described him the "leader of the opposition".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2011/04/don-brashs-move-from-national-to-act.html |title=Don Brash's move from National to Act |last=Miller |first=Geoffrey |date=27 April 2011 |website=Liberation |access-date=22 September 2014}}</ref> Hide's supporters often described him as one of the most effective opposition MPs, and praised him for his motivation and commitment.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

===Entry into Parliament===
Hide held the seventh place on the ACT [[party list]] for the [[1996 New Zealand general election|1996 election]]. ACT received enough votes for Hide to enter Parliament, making him one of the party's "founding" MPs. He gradually rose through the party's ranks, reaching second place in the ACT list for the [[2002 New Zealand general election|2002 election]].

In his [[maiden speech]], Hide made a specific attack on "[[wikt:perquisite|perks]]" enjoyed by MPs, and this "perk-busting" became a characteristic of his political career until he was himself exposed for taking advantage of such perks, in taking his girlfriend on a tax payer funded trip to London and Hawaii.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newshub.co.nz/general/hides-hypocrisy-cost-him-his-job-2011042818#axzz49NYiVQ5m|date=28 April 2011|title=Hide's hypocrisy cost him his job|work=[[News Hub (Auckland)|News Hub]]|first=Patrick|last=Gower}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Hide still however claims to have developed a substantial reputation for finding and exposing "scandals", whether they relate to MPs' perks or to other governmental matters. Hide's critics often claim that his "scandals" rely on [[sensationalism]] and exaggeration, and have as their only purpose the gaining of media attention; but his supporters believe that Hide's constant scrutiny "keeps the government honest" and ensures that the administration does not waste taxpayers' money.

[[Roger Douglas]] himself has emerged as one of Hide's more prominent critics, referring to Hide's "stunts" as detracting from ACT's core economic message, shifting focus to populist issues of law and order and to provocative race relations policies. At a party conference, Douglas condemned [[Member of parliament|MPs]] "who run any fickle line capable of grabbing short-term votes and attention", a comment allegedly directed at Hide or at his supporters. Hide acknowledges the criticism, but defends himself on the grounds that a focus on pure economic theory will not attract interest: "the problem is that the so-called stunts are particularly well-reported and my work explaining free market ideas disappears without trace." The tension between [[Roger Douglas|Douglas]] and Hide increased when Hide made a bid for the vice-presidency of ACT in 2000: supporters of Douglas interpreted this action as a challenge to Douglas' organisational authority within the party. Both Douglas and Hide stood down from their roles as president and vice-president, suggesting an uneasy truce between these two factions. In 2008 the two men worked closely together with Douglas holding third place on the party list following Hide and Heather Roy.

===ACT Party leadership===
Many people had known for some time that Hide saw himself as a potential parliamentary leader of the [[ACT New Zealand|ACT]] party, and he himself showed no reluctance in saying so.  At several points, rumours circulated that Hide planned to challenge party leader [[Richard Prebble]] for his position, although such a challenge never emerged. When Prebble eventually announced his retirement, his critics{{who|date=April 2012}} claimed that this had been brought about by secret campaigning by Hide. However, Prebble himself has denied this claim and it appears more likely that he stood down for personal reasons, as he publicly claimed.

When Prebble announced his retirement, Hide quickly indicated that he would seek the caucus leadership. Prebble, however, appeared unenthusiastic about the prospect of Hide succeeding him, and in a speech praising each of the new leadership contenders, pointedly dwelled on the others. The succession method chosen by Prebble also appeared to disfavour Hide: rather than a simple [[caucus]] vote, which a conventional leadership challenge would have called, a four-way election involved all ACT party members (although the election remained only "indicative"). Many people consider{{who|date=April 2012}} that the party organisation, in which Douglas has considerable influence, dislikes Hide.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}

Hide campaigned against [[Stephen Franks]], [[Ken Shirley]], and [[Muriel Newman]] for the ACT party parliamentary leadership. In the race he claimed that his high public profile and his image of strength would prove crucial to ACT's political survival. Stephen Franks, seen as the primary "anti-Hide" candidate and a social conservative, had the backing of [[Roger Douglas]]. In the end, however, Hide prevailed, and the party introduced Hide as its new leader on 13 June 2004.

Under Hide's leadership, the vote in the September 2005 election severely reduced ACT's party parliamentary representation. ACT's share of the party vote dropped from over 7% of the total in {{NZ election link year|2002}} to around 1.5%; its representation in Parliament fell from nine MPs to two. Despite this reduction, the party remained in parliament due to Hide winning the [[Epsom (New Zealand electorate)|Epsom seat]]. As a consequence of its reduced share of the vote, ACT received a significant cut in taxpayer-funded Parliamentary resourcing and Hide shifted his electorate office in [[Remuera]] to [[Newmarket, New Zealand|Newmarket]], the same location as that of ACT's head office.

As a post-election strategy, Rodney Hide focused on his high-profile attacks on prominent [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]] MPs. His campaign against alleged abuse of schoolchildren by Labour Party minister [[David Benson-Pope]], which was verified by the now grown children involved, continued to make headlines in late 2005.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}} In 2006, Hide voiced speculation on the leadership cadre of the [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]] (then led by [[Don Brash]]), a strategy which gained him headlines but complicated the once co-operative relationship between ACT and National.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}

===''Dancing with the Stars''===
In 2006, Hide appeared as a contestant in the [[celebrity]]-based ''[[Dancing with the Stars (New Zealand TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]'' [[television]] series, in which he, paired with  professional dancer Krystal Stuart, competing against other celebrities. Funds raised through his performance went to [[St. John Ambulance|St John Ambulance]]. Hide stated that he appeared on the show as a personal challenge, having never danced before, and despite harsh criticism from the show's judges placed fourth, after dropping his dance partner.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10386144|title=Hide out after he drops his partner|last=McNaughton|first=Maggie|date=11 June 2006|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=8 December 2017|issn=1170-0777}}</ref>

===ACT in Government===
At the {{NZ election link|2008}}, Hide retained his Epsom seat;<ref>"[http://www.dia.govt.nz/MSOS118/On-Line/NZGazette.nsf/6cee7698a9bbc7cfcc256d510059ed0b/67778912aca129b7cc25750f0047aeb5!OpenDocument 2008 General Election Results of the Official Count]" (22 November 2008) 180 ''[[The New&nbsp;Zealand Gazette]]'' 4649.</ref><ref>[http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-12.html Epsom results 2008.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211164738/http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-12.html |date=11 December 2008 }}</ref> with a subsequent rise in party popularity, ACT increased its representation in parliament from two seats to five.<ref>[http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html Election results 2008.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209051141/http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html |date=9 February 2009 }}</ref> The [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]] won the most seats and formed a [[minority government]] with the support of ACT, the [[Māori Party]] and [[United Future]]. Hide was appointed as a Minister outside [[Cabinet (politics)|Cabinet]]<ref>"[http://www.dia.govt.nz/MSOS118/On-Line/NZGazette.nsf/6cee7698a9bbc7cfcc256d510059ed0b/f0b26c54c2b6dd0ecc25750f00477759!OpenDocument Members of Executive Council Appointed]" (19 November 2008) 179 [[The New Zealand Gazette]] 4634</ref> and was appointed to the office of the [[Minister of Local Government (New Zealand)|Minister of Local Government]], Minister for Regulatory Reform and Associate Minister of Commerce.<ref>"[http://www.dia.govt.nz/MSOS118/On-Line/NZGazette.nsf/6cee7698a9bbc7cfcc256d510059ed0b/8155efb9e8df9c7ecc25750f0047784d!OpenDocument Appointment of Ministers]" (19 November 2008) 179 [[The New Zealand Gazette]] 4635.</ref>

One of the main focuses of Hide's work in cabinet was the [[Auckland Council|Auckland 'Super City']] proposal for unification of the various local authorities of [[Auckland]]. This initiative was started by the [[Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand|then-Labour government]] in 2007, which set up a [[Royal Commission on Auckland Governance|Royal Commission]] to investigate the local government arrangements in the Auckland region.<ref>''[http://www.stuff.co.nz/0a11.html4147429a11.html Auckland governance inquiry welcomed]'' – [[NZPA]], via 'stuff.co.nz', Tuesday 31 July 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2007.</ref> The Commission reported back in 2009, but Hide and Prime Minister [[John Key]] announced that several of the commission's recommendations would not be accepted. In particular, the proposed six district sub-councils would be replaced by a local structure of 20–30 community boards. The recommendation to have separate concept Maori representation was also not accepted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10565730|title=Super City: More regional representation, but less power|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=8 April 2009|first=Bernard|last=Orsman}}</ref>

Hide faced criticism from various parties over the local authority amalgamation. Issues of satellite city boundaries, assets, financing & political consolidation were raised by [[North Shore City]] mayor [[Andrew Williams (New Zealand politician)|Andrew Williams]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10571023|title=''Andrew Williams:'' Downsize this Super City madness|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=8 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10566362|title=Banks calls Williams a lunatic as Super City debate gets ugly|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=13 April 2009|first=Bernard|last=Orsman}}</ref> That same year, the Labour Party accused Hide of mismanaging the Auckland reform process and criticised Hide's advocacy of privatising council assets and services. Labour also alleged that a bad process had led to the centralisation of power in the hands of a privileged few.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0909/S00062.htm|title=Super city Bill flawed and undemocratic|date=4 September 2009|publisher=[[New Zealand Labour Party]]}}</ref> In 2010, a ''New Zealand Herald'' editorial made five further criticisms of Hide's implementation of the 'super city' amalgamation:
# Hide had a bad track record of consultation in the design of the single city,
# He was plainly driven by his ideological agenda,
# He had threatened to resign if the Prime Minister acceded to a strong call for Maori seats,
# He had ignored concerns about the lack of power of local boards, and,
# as much as 90 per cent of services were to be run by seven Government-appointed boards.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10631829
|title=Editorial: CCO plan mocks democracy
|work=New Zealand Herald
|date= 14 March 2010
|access-date=21 August 2012}}</ref>
Despite these criticisms, the amalgamation went ahead and the first [[2010 Auckland local elections|Auckland Council elections]] were held in 2010.

===Leadership questioned===
In November 2009, a special ACT-party caucus meeting was held to discuss the Hide's position as party leader, where he was chosen to be retained.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10616488|title=Key steps in to save Hide's Act job|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|first=Audrey|last=Young|date=19 December 2009|access-date=30 December 2009}}</ref>

On 28 April 2011, he resigned as leader of ACT after a successful challenge from former National leader Don Brash.<ref name="3news" /> Hide indicated to Brash he would not be standing in the [[2011 New Zealand general election|2011 general election]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10723116|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|title=Hide won't contest general election|date=3 May 2011}}</ref> When he left parliament he chose not to give a valedictory speech.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5753063/Parliaments-heavy-hitter-bids-adieu/ |title=Parliament's heavy hitter bids adieu|date=8 October 2011 |access-date=8 October 2011}}</ref>

==Political views==

===Perk busting===
Hide was criticised in November 2009 for taking his girlfriend [[Louise Crome]] on a tax-payer funded private holiday to Hawaii and on a tax-payer funded trip to London, Canada and the United States. He repaid the money for the Hawaii trip.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3041488/Rodney-Hides-other-holiday-perk|title=Rodney Hide's other holiday perk |work=[[New Zealand Press Association]]|date=7 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3013709/Hide-against-travel-perk-but-still-used-it|title=Hide against travel perk, but still used it|work=[[New Zealand Press Association]]|date=30 October 2009}}</ref> These allegations were particularly notable given Hide's history as a self-styled parliamentary perk-buster, particularly in Opposition.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ventner |first=Nick |date=8 October 2011 |title=Parliament's heavy hitter bids adieu |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5753063/Parliaments-heavy-hitter-bids-adieu |work=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]] |location=Wellington |access-date=22 September 2014 }}</ref>

===Climate change===
As ACT leader, Hide criticised Labour's [[Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008|emissions trading scheme]] in September 2008. stating "the entire climate change – global warming hypothesis is a hoax... the data and the hypothesis do not hold together... Al Gore is a phoney and a fraud on this issue, and... the emissions trading scheme is a worldwide scam and swindle".<ref>{{cite web
|last=Hide
|first=Rodney
|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0809/S00042.htm
|title=Hide: Emissions Trading Bill
|publisher= ACT Party
|work=Press Release ACT Party Speech to Parliament
|date=3 September 2008
|access-date= 12 January 2010}}</ref> He said that the legislation would drive up the cost of basic goods, ruining businesses and farmers.<ref name="NBR_34754">{{cite news|author=NZPA|date=2 September 2008|title=Climate Change Bill attacked in Parliament|work=National Business Review|url=http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/climate-change-bill-attacked-parliament-34754|url-status=dead|access-date=5 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724193430/http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/climate-change-bill-attacked-parliament-34754|archive-date=24 July 2011}}</ref> In November 2008, after ACT had negotiated with National for a [[Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee|review]] of the [[New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme]], ''[[New Zealand Herald]]'' journalist [[Brian Rudman]] commented that Hide had "fruitcake views on global warming".<ref>{{cite web
|first= Brian
|last= Rudman 
|date=19 November 2008 |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz-election-2008/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501799&objectid=10543748
|title=Ditch fruitcake views on climate change
|publisher=The New Zealand Herald
|access-date=3 February 2010 }}</ref>

In 2010, in a speech to Parliament, Hide compared government-funded climate science to the Spanish inquisition. He also accused the [[National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research]] of being involved in a scandal with its temperature data and claimed that its scientific credibility was shredded.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1002/S00101.htm
|title= Speech on Prime Minister's Statement
|date= 9 February 2010
|publisher= ACT New Zealand
|access-date= 21 August 2012
|quote=Government sponsored climate science has proved to have more in common with the Spanish inquisition than Popperian science
}}</ref>

In 2012, Hide continued to write opinion articles in the press questioning climate science and emissions trading schemes. In the ''[[National Business Review]]'', Hide claimed that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report in 2007 was 'infamously wrong' and contained schoolboy errors and had been written by people who had to 'believe the human-induced global warming nonsense before they start'.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/audit-exposes-fake-science-climate-change-ck-124664
|title=Audit exposes fake science of climate change
|work=The National Business Review
|first=Rodney
|last=Hide
|date=30 July 2012 |access-date=21 August 2012}}</ref> In the Herald, Hide said that the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is a 'scam and a waste'. Hide agreed that CO<sub>2</sub> from fossil fuels is a greenhouse gas that has caused warming, but that the warming wasn't worrying until the effect had been multiplied with computer models that are programmed to cause scary climate change.
<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10819582
|title=Trading scheme is a scam – Opinion
|first=Rodney
|last=Hide 
|work=New Zealand Herald 
|date= 15 July 2012
|access-date=21 August 2012}}</ref>

==Life after Parliament==
[[File:Rodney Hide QSO investiture.jpg|thumb|right|Hide (left), after his investiture as a [[Companion of the Queen's Service Order]] by the governor-general, [[Jerry Mateparae|Sir Jerry Mateparae]], at [[Government House, Wellington]], on 23 May 2013]]
In December 2011 Hide was granted the right to retain the title of [[The Honourable#New Zealand|The Honourable]]<ref>"''[http://www.dia.govt.nz/MSOS118/On-Line/NZGazette.nsf/6cee7698a9bbc7cfcc256d510059ed0b/33d0bbbd1645dd94cc25796e00557620!OpenDocument Retention of the Title ‘The Honourable’]''" (15 December 2011) 200 [[The New Zealand Gazette]] 5729.</ref> in recognition of his term as a Member of the Executive Council of New Zealand. He was also appointed a [[Queen's Service Order|Companion of the Queen's Service Order]] in the [[2013 New Year Honours (New Zealand)|2013 New Year Honours]], for services as a member of Parliament.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2013 | title=New Year honours list 2013|date=31 December 2012 | publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | access-date=10 January 2018}}</ref>

Hide wrote a political column for the ''New Zealand Herald'' for a time, and has also worked as a casual labourer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Marika |date=1 July 2012 |title=Rodney Hide's still raking muck |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7201187/Rodney-Hides-still-raking-muck |work=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]] |location=Wellington |access-date=22 September 2014 }}</ref>
Following news of [[Operation Yewtree]] in Britain and the subsequent trial of Australian entertainer [[Rolf Harris]], a member of the [[New Zealand Parliament]], [[Maggie Barry]], described a groping by Harris during a studio interview she conducted in her previous broadcasting career.<ref>"[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11287467 Maggie Barry: I was groped by Rolf Harris]". ''New Zealand Herald'', dated 2014-07-04, viewed 21 July 2014</ref> Hide taunted her in his newspaper column, urging her to use her [[parliamentary privilege]] to breach the name suppression order protecting the defendant in the [[Queenstown suppressed indecency case]].<ref>"[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11292524 Rodney Hide: Forget Rolf, Maggie. We have our own sexual predator to name and shame]". ''New Zealand Herald'', dated 2014-07-13, viewed 21 July 2014</ref>

As of 2014, Hide is now married to [[Louise Crome]], and the couple have two girls and one son, and Hide has a son from his previous marriage.<ref name="Old Girl">{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11303186|title=Rodney Hide: Old girl gets makeover for new boy|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=3 August 2014}}</ref>

In February 2022, Hide expressed support for the [[Convoy 2022 New Zealand]] protesters who had camped outside Parliament. In an open letter, he supported the protesters' opposition to the [[Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand|Labour Government]]'s vaccine mandate and expressed disappointment with ACT leader [[David Seymour]], who had distanced himself from the marches while stressing his belief in the right to protest. Hide also criticised the ACT party's support for the Government's lockdown and vaccine mandates, citing his belief in "human freedoms."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coughlan |first1=Thomas |title=Former Act leader Rodney Hide backs Parliament protest, saying answer is to 'fight' |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/former-act-leader-rodney-hide-backs-parliament-protest-saying-answer-is-to-fight/MIBJACEK2DCD4BSTRFOMPG55QQ/ |access-date=19 February 2022 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215222054/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/former-act-leader-rodney-hide-backs-parliament-protest-saying-answer-is-to-fight/MIBJACEK2DCD4BSTRFOMPG55QQ/ |archive-date=15 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

By 2022, Hide had joined ''[[The Platform (radio station)|The Platform]]'', an online radio station founded by veteran broadcaster [[Sean Plunket]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Greive |first1=Duncan |date=20 August 2022 |title=Two hours with the secretive rich lister bankrolling Sean Plunket's The Platform |work=[[The Spinoff]] |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/20-08-2022/two-hours-with-the-secretive-rich-lister-bankrolling-sean-plunkets-the-platform |access-date=27 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831200516/https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/20-08-2022/two-hours-with-the-secretive-rich-lister-bankrolling-sean-plunkets-the-platform |archive-date=31 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=15 May 2022 |title=Re-Platformed: radio outcasts make their own platform |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018841863/re-platformed-radio-outcasts-make-their-own-outlet |url-status=live |access-date=27 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713074940/https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018841863/re-platformed-radio-outcasts-make-their-own-outlet |archive-date=13 July 2022}}</ref> By March 2023, Hide had left The Platform and became a host on the anti-vaccination group [[Voices for Freedom]]'s online radio station [[Reality Check Radio]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Greive |first1=Duncan |title=There's now Voices for Freedom online radio for people who find The Platform too woke |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/07-03-2023/theres-now-voices-for-freedom-online-radio-for-people-who-find-the-platform-too-woke |access-date=20 March 2023 |work=[[The Spinoff]] |date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307054820/https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/07-03-2023/theres-now-voices-for-freedom-online-radio-for-people-who-find-the-platform-too-woke |archive-date=7 March 2023}}</ref>

==Selected works==
* Ackroyd, Peter, Rodney P. Hide, and Basil Sharp. New Zealand's ITQ system: Prospects for the evolution of sole ownership corporations. MAFFish, 1990.
*  Hide, Rodney P., and Peter Ackroyd. Depoliticising fisheries management: Chatham Islands' paua (abalone) as a case study. 1990.
* Hide, Rodney P. Property rights and natural resource policy. Centre for Resource Management, Publications Section, Lincoln College, 1987.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|Politics|New Zealand}}
* [http://rodneyhide.com/ Rodney Hide MP] official site
* [https://archive.today/20100523081226/http://act.org.nz/rodney-hide Profile] at ACT party
* {{MPLinksNZ | parliament = MPs/7/6/1/49MP11981-Hide-Rodney.htm | beehive = rodney-hide | theywork = rodney_hide}}

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