31 Facts About Anne Tolley

Anne Merrilyn Tolley is a New Zealand politician.

Anne Tolley was unseated in 2002 but returned in 2005 as the new East Coast MP.

Anne Tolley established Oranga Tamariki and was the first Minister for Children from 2016 to 2017.

Anne Tolley was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2017 to 2020.

Anne Tolley was born in Wellington on 1 March 1953, the daughter of Mary Margaret Hicks and her husband Ronald James Hicks.

Anne Tolley was educated at Colenso High School in Napier, and spent time as a Rotary exchange student in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States.

Anne Tolley went on to gain a diploma in computer programming.

In 1986 Anne Tolley was elected as a member of the Napier City Council and remained in that role until 1995.

Anne Tolley served as deputy mayor of Napier between 1989 and 1995, and was an elected member of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council from 1989 to 1992.

Anne Tolley has been a Justice of the Peace since 1989.

Anne Tolley sought re-election in the 1995 local elections, but was defeated.

An independent on the Napier City Council, Anne Tolley was encouraged to join the Labour Party by incumbent Napier MP Geoff Braybrooke but declined, instead joining the National Party.

Anne Tolley was interested in being a candidate for National at the 1996 general election, but had not been a member of the party for long enough.

Anne Tolley challenged Braybrooke for the Napier seat in 1999.

Anne Tolley did return at the 2005 general election, having won the East Coast electorate over Labour candidate Moana Mackey, daughter of the previous East Coast MP Janet Mackey.

Anne Tolley held the electorate at the four subsequent elections.

Anne Tolley served as the first woman National Party whip from December 2006 until February 2008 when she became the party's education spokesperson.

Anne Tolley continued in senior roles in the Fifth National Government until its defeat in 2017 and thereafter became Deputy Speaker.

Anne Tolley was succeeded as National's candidate for the East Coast electorate by Rotorua District Councillor Tania Tapsell.

However, in June 2020, with National polling poorly, Anne Tolley announced that she would instead retire at the 2020 election.

Anne Tolley gave her valedictory statement on 23 July 2020.

The National Party formed a government after the 2008 general election and Anne Tolley was appointed Minister of Education, the first woman to hold that position.

In June 2010, Anne Tolley expressed concerns about a Parliamentary Library research paper that was critical of National Standards, calling it "unprofessional", "highly political" and so biased it could have been written by the union opposing the policy.

Anne Tolley reminded principals that in her view it would be quicker and give better results to contact herself or the Ministry of Education with concerns about the changes, than to speak through the media.

Hekia Parata was made Education Minister while Anne Tolley was demoted in the Cabinet rankings, becoming Minister of Corrections and Police, succeeding Judith Collins who was promoted to Minister of Justice.

Anne Tolley said that a number of older units at Arohata, Rolleston, Rangipo and Waikeria prisons would close.

Anne Tolley attended a sod-turning ceremony at the site of the new prison Wiri in September 2012.

When National was returned to government after the 2014 general election, Anne Tolley succeeded Paula Bennett as Minister of Social Development.

From September to December 2016, Anne Tolley had an additional appointment as Minister for Youth.

Anne Tolley admitted having told her sister of the situation before it was reported by media, but was not found to have alerted media.

Anne Tolley joins other current and former New Zealand politicians including Rahui Katene, David Lange, Chester Borrows, Donna Awatere-Huata and Tariana Turia to have had gastric bypass surgery at some point in the past.