28 Facts About Chester Borrows

Kerry James "Chester" Borrows was a New Zealand National Party politician who served as a Member of the New Zealand Parliament from 2005 to 2017.

Chester Borrows first stood for Parliament in 1999, and was elected in 2005.

Chester Borrows was a Minister outside Cabinet for three years, and was Deputy Speaker for three years.

Chester Borrows served as head of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, tasked with helping reform New Zealand's criminal justice system.

Chester Borrows served as an archdeacon in the Anglican Church.

Chester Borrows joined the New Zealand Police and worked in Nelson, Wellington and Auckland before becoming the sole charge officer in Patea.

In 2002, Chester Borrows graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington, and was admitted to the bar.

Chester Borrows joined the National Party in 1987, having previously been a Labour supporter.

Chester Borrows first stood for Parliament in the 1999 election, in the Whanganui electorate, but he could not unseat the incumbent, Jill Pettis of the Labour Party.

Chester Borrows would go on to win the electorate in 2008,2011, and 2014.

Chester Borrows received the associate portfolios of Justice and Social Development.

Chester Borrows publicly disagreed with Corrections Minister Judith Collins about her decision to stand down a gang member from his mentor work in prison.

Chester Borrows was granted the style The Honourable for life by the usual convention for outgoing Ministers.

Chester Borrows broke ranks with his party in 2017 to openly condemn what he called the "discriminatory" policies of US President Donald Trump, and reiterated his support for Syrian and Muslim refugees.

In 2018, Chester Borrows was appointed head of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, which is tasked with helping reform New Zealand's criminal justice system.

Chester Borrows's work included assisting with a restoration of St Mary's Anglican Church in Hawera.

Chester Borrows proposed an amendment which would have legalised the use of force on children providing that it did not "cause or contribute materially to harm that is more than transitory and trifling", involve any weapon, tool or other implement, and was not "cruel, degrading, or terrifying".

Chester Borrows has argued for a more rehabilitative approach which he believed is better supported by evidence.

In November 2022, Chester Borrows criticised National Party leader Christopher Luxon's proposal to introduce electronic monitoring and boot camps for young offenders, arguing that better "social supports" were better solutions to addressing youth crime.

Chester Borrows voted against the Marriage Amendment Act of 2013 at all three readings.

Chester Borrows supported and voted for amendments which would have allowed celebrants to be able to refuse to marry gay couples.

Chester Borrows wrote an opinion piece in 2018 following controversial comments about homosexuals by Australian rugby player Israel Folau.

Chester Borrows voted against a bill which would have allowed all retailers in the Waitaki electorate to trade on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but for a bill that granted territorial authorities some power to create bylaws that allow shop trading on Easter Sunday.

Chester Borrows was a lay preacher in the Presbyterian Church.

Chester Borrows was related to MPs Chris Finlayson and Annette King through the large Russ family of Nelson.

In 2017, Chester Borrows was found not guilty of a charge of careless driving causing injury, a charge he faced after he drove over the foot of a protester in Whanganui in 2016.

In 2019, Chester Borrows had his driving licence suspended for three months, as he had earned 100 demerit points from four speeding tickets over two years.

In February 2023, Chester Borrows' daughter posted on Facebook that he had head and neck squamous-cell cancer and that his condition had worsened.