HISTORY

The New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust was formed in 1991 to bridge a perceived gap of understanding between MPs and business people. It adopted the following as its main objectives:
• to enable MPs to widen their experience in and increase their knowledge of business;
• to improve business managers’ understanding of how government is exercised through Parliament.


The approaches made in 1991 to key political and business leaders in New Zealand resulted in the establishment of the New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust, with the Speaker of the House of Representatives as president and a representative of the corporate membership as chairman.  The first Trust board, which met on 11 December 1991, comprised seven members of Parliament, including the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, and six business leaders (see Founding Trustees below).


The Trust’s initial corporate membership drive produced 40 companies, each undertaking to financially support the Trust for an initial period of three years (see Founding Members below).  The companies were a disparate group, diverse and independent of each other but they were united in the belief that if business was misunderstood it had only itself to blame and it was an appropriate time to do something about it.

The New Zealand Business and Parliament Trust was initially modelled on Britain’s Industry and Parliament Trust.


In June 2008, changes were made to the original Trust Deed to modify the Trust’s governance arrangements.  Details of the current governance arrangements can be found under the section ABOUT US – Structure and Management.


Founding Trustees
Hon Robin Gray MP (President)
Pat Goodman (Chairman)
John Beattie
Rt Hon Jim Bolger MP
Barry Dineen
Hon Peter Dunne MP
John Fernyhough
Jeff Grant MP
Clive Matthewson MP
Margaret Moir MP
Rt Hon Mike Moore MP
Dryden Spring
Bruce Wallace
Founding Executive Director
Lindsay McCallum
Founding Corporate Members
Affco New Zealand Ltd
Air New Zealand Ltd
Alliance Group Ltd
Auckland Electric Power Board
Auckland International Airport Ltd
Brierley Investments Ltd
Caltex Oil (New Zealand) Ltd
Clear Communications Ltd
Comalco New Zealand Ltd
Databank Systems Ltd
Deloitte Ross Tohmatsu Ltd
Electricity Corp of New Zealand Ltd
Fay, Richwhite & Co Ltd
Fletcher Challenge Ltd
Foodstuffs (New Zealand) Ltd
Forestry Corporation of New Zealand Ltd
Fortex Group Ltd
Fujitsu New Zealand Ltd
GCS Ltd
Glaxo New Zealand Ltd
Goodman Fielder Ltd
Mainzeal Group Ltd
Marsh & McLennan Ltd
McDonald’s System of New Zealand Ltd
Milburn New Zealand Ltd
New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Co Ltd
New Zealand Industrial Gases Ltd
New Zealand Post Ltd
New Zealand Refining Co Ltd
New Zealand Apple & Pear Marketing Board
New Zealand Dairy Board
P & O New Zealand Ltd
Progressive Enterprises Ltd
Rank Group
Shell New Zealand Holding Co Ltd
Southland Building & Investment Society
Talley’s Fisheries Ltd
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd
Turners & Growers Ltd
The Todd Corporation Ltd


Past Presidents
Hon Peter Tapsell MP
Hon Doug Kidd MP
Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt MP


Past Chairpersons
Sir Patrick Goodman PCNZM CBE
Barry Dineen
Past Trustees
Barry Akers
Dr Don Brash MP
John Carter MP
Hon Lianne Dalziel MP
Hon Bill English MP
Bill Falcolner
Hon Christine Fletcher MP
Hugh Fletcher
Hon Peter Gresham MP
John Hunn
Hon Annette King MP
June McCabe
Dr Muriel Newman MP
Hon Richard Prebble MP
Ross Robertson MP
Rod Donald MP
Hon Jenny Shipley MP
Hon Paul Swain MP
Tariana Turia MP
Bruce Wallace


The 15th Anniversary of the New Zealand Business & Parliament Trust

The Trust was formed on 11 December 1991 and the 15th Anniversary of its inception was celebrated on the same day as the 15th Annual General Meeting.  The occasion was marked by a formal dinner to which all current and past Trustees, current corporate members and Associate Members (current Members of Parliament who had completed one of the Trust’s Business Study Attachments) were invited. 

A total of 108 special guests attended the function, including the current Speaker of the House and President of the Trust, the Acting Prime Minister, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, past Speakers, past Trustees, current Ministers and Members of Parliament, corporate representatives and current and past employees of the Trust.  A special Commemorative Brochure was issued to mark the Trust’s first 15 years and a copy of this can be found under the PUBLICATIONS section.

THE FIRST 15 YEARS