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The Honourable
Steve Maharey
CNZM
Maharey in 2008
42nd Minister of Education
In office
19 October 2005 – 31 October 2007
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byTrevor Mallard
Succeeded byChris Carter
22nd Minister for Research, Science and Technology
In office
21 December 2004 – 31 October 2007
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byPete Hodgson
Succeeded byPete Hodgson
22nd Minister for Social Development
In office
10 December 1999 – 19 October 2005
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byRoger Sowry
Succeeded byDavid Benson-Pope
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Palmerston North
In office
27 October 1990 – 8 November 2008
Preceded byTrevor de Cleene
Succeeded byIain Lees-Galloway
5th Vice-Chancellor of Massey University
In office
October 2008 – December 2016
Preceded byJudith Kinnear
Succeeded byJan Thomas
Personal details
Born (1953-02-03) 3 February 1953 (age 71)
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
ProfessionSociologist

Steven Maharey CNZM (born 3 February 1953) is a New Zealand academic and former politician of the Labour Party. Elected to Parliament for the first time in 1990, he was Minister of Social Development and Employment from 1999 to 2005 and Minister of Education from 2005 to 2007. He retired from Parliament at the 2008 general election to become the Vice-Chancellor at Massey University.[1]

Early life

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Maharey was born in Palmerston North in 1953, the son of William Maharey and his wife Irene. He attended Freyberg High School in 1966–1969. After gaining an MA Hons in sociology from Palmerston North's Massey University (1972–1976),[2] he was a lecturer at that institution from 1978, teaching both sociology and business administration. His particular specialties within sociology were social change and cultural studies.[3]

Political career

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Palmerston North City Council

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Maharey served one term on the Palmerston North City Council from 1986 to 1989.[3]

In opposition, 1990–1999

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1990–1993 43rd Palmerston North Labour
1993–1996 44th Palmerston North Labour
1996–1999 45th Palmerston North none Labour
1999–2002 46th Palmerston North 3 Labour
2002–2005 47th Palmerston North 4 Labour
2005–2008 48th Palmerston North 5 Labour

In the 1990 election, Maharey stood as the Labour Party candidate for Palmerston North, replacing retiring MP Trevor de Cleene, and was elected to Parliament.[3] After Maharey left the Labour party, Iain Lees-Galloway successfully held the seat for Labour in the 2008 election. He was a subscriber of Third Way political thinking.[4]

Maharey immediately became Labour's spokesperson for broadcasting and communications under Mike Moore.[5] He later gained associate responsibility for education. In 1993, he instead became spokesperson for labour and employment.[6] In 1994 he was promoted to a seat on the frontbench to replace Peter Dunne, who had quit the party.[7] In a 1997 reshuffle he relinquished the labour portfolio and instead became spokesperson on social welfare.[8]

In Government, 1999–2008

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After the 1999 election, a Labour-Alliance government was formed, Maharey became Minister of Social Services and Employment, having responsibility for social welfare, youth services, and the reduction of unemployment.[4] In 2002 the title changed to Minister for Social Development and Employment. He also became Associate Minister of Education responsible for tertiary education. After the 2002 election, in which Labour was re-elected, Maharey also became Minister of Broadcasting. In a December 2004 cabinet reshuffle, Maharey was promoted to Minister of Education, Minister for Research, Science and Technology, Minister for Crown Research Institutes, and Minister for Youth Affairs.[9] He was officially ranked fourth in the Cabinet hierarchy.[10]

While former colleague John Tamihere described Maharey as 'smarmy' in an Investigate magazine interview, Maharey's personality publicly surfaced during the Christine Rankin Employment Court Hearing in 2001, where Rankin (a former head of Maharey's department whose contract was not renewed) and Maharey publicly exchanged insults.[11] The New Zealand Herald quoted several exchanges between the two verbatim that were alleged to have occurred by Rankin.[12] The court did not uphold Rankin's claims.

In April 2007, Maharey came under criticism for saying 'fuck you' in parliamentary question time on 4 April.[13] He apologised shortly afterwards. The outburst was elicited when Maharey was questioned by Jonathan Coleman about the appropriateness of his actions as broadcasting minister threatening to complain to the Radio New Zealand board when he was displeased by a host Sean Plunket referring to a comment Maharey had made about the need for the Cambridge exam in Botswana as 'racist.'[14]

Maharey stood down from his ministerial roles in October 2007, pending his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Massey University.[1][15] In the 2009 New Year Honours, Maharey was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a Member of Parliament.[16]

Roles after Parliament

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Massey University

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From 2008 until 2016, Steve Maharey was the Vice-Chancellor of Massey University. During Maharey's eight years as Vice-Chancellor, total staff numbers (FTE) increased from 3,080 in 2009, his first full year as Vice-Chancellor, to 3,213 in 2016, his last year in the role.[17] However, over the same time period academic staff numbers remained much the same. Student numbers (EFTS) decreased from 19,994 in 2009 to 18,994 in 2016 due to a reduction in domestic students, including extramural students, partly offset by an increase in international students.[17] Māori enrolments also decreased from 3,548 to 3338 students during this period.[17] Over the same period, the university's consolidated revenues increased from $406 million to $489 million and net assets increased from $924 million to approximately $1 billion.[17] However, external research income decreased from $70 million in 2009 to $67 million in 2016.[17]

In 2022, Maharey was awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature degree by Massey University.[18]

Pharmac & ACC

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In August 2018, Maharey became the chair of the Board of Pharmac.[19] During this period Pharmac underwent a period of change following a critical review.[20] In April 2021, he became Chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).[21]

In March 2023, Maharey attracted media attention after the Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes ruled that two of his op-ed columns published in the Sunday Star Times breached public servants' rules for impartiality. Since Maharey's actions were deemed to be at the "lower end of the spectrum," Prime Minister Chris Hipkins ruled that Maharey would retain his positions as the Chair of Pharmac, ACC, and Education New Zealand.[22]

Maharey resigned from Pharmac and ACC on 1 December 2023 after the formation of a National-led coalition government following the 2023 New Zealand general election.[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Claire Trevett (19 October 2007). "Maharey quitting Cabinet to join University". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  2. ^ Maharey, Steve (1976). Small shop survival : the dairy-grocery as a case in point (Masters thesis). Massey Research Online, Massey University. hdl:10179/11373.
  3. ^ a b c Hancock, Mervyn (December 2005). "Steven Maharey : Member of Parliament for Palmerston North 1990 – Present" (PDF). Palmerston North Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b Franks & McAloon 2016, p. 233.
  5. ^ "All Labour's 29 MPs get areas of responsibility". Otago Daily Times. 28 November 1990. p. 4.
  6. ^ "The Labour Shadow Cabinet". The Dominion. 14 December 1993. p. 2.
  7. ^ Goulter, John (18 October 1994). "King takes over Dunne's duties". The Evening Post. p. 2.
  8. ^ Venter, Nick; Ross, Frances (9 August 1997). "Dalziel dumped from health job". The Dominion.
  9. ^ "Cullen gets Attorney General role". Television New Zealand. 20 December 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2007.
  10. ^ "Clark announces cabinet portfolios". Television New Zealand. 19 October 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2007.
  11. ^ "Letter No.149". The Jobs Letter. 16 July 2001. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  12. ^ Vernon Small and Francesca Mold (26 June 2001). "Officials planned to lie says Rankin". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  13. ^ Audrey Young (5 April 2007). "A couple of quick words from the Minister ... whoops". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  14. ^ "Radio New Zealand—Ministerial Process". New Zealand Parliament (Hansard). 4 April 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
  15. ^ "Ministerial List for Announcement on 31 October 2007" (Press release). New Zealand Government. 31 October 2007. Archived from the original (DOC) on 1 October 2008.
  16. ^ "New Year honours list 2009". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d e Massey University. "Strategies, plans and annual reports". Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Honorary doctorate citation, Steve Maharey, 2022". Massey University. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Board members | PHARMAC". pharmac.govt.nz. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  20. ^ Witton, Bridie (3 August 2022). "Pharmac tells MPs medicine-buying agency undergoing 'substantial change'". Stuff.
  21. ^ ACC (30 April 2021). "New ACC Board Appointed".
  22. ^ McConnell, Glenn; Whyte, Anna (8 March 2023). "Steve Maharey breached impartiality rule but will keep jobs, as another chair faces scrutiny". Stuff. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Public sector boss Steve Maharey has resigned". Radio New Zealand. 1 December 2023. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.

References

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  • Franks, Peter; McAloon, Jim (2016). Labour: The New Zealand Labour Party 1916–2016. Wellington: Victoria University Press. ISBN 978-1-77656-074-5.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Palmerston North
1990–2008 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Social Development
1999–2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Research, Science and Technology
2004–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Education
2005–2007 		Succeeded by
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