1. Christopher Robert Laidlaw was born on 16 November 1943 and is a New Zealand politician and former rugby union player, Rhodes Scholar, public servant, diplomat and radio host.
18 Facts About Chris Laidlaw
1. 2.
Chris Laidlaw attended Otago University from 1962 to 1966, and completed a master's degree in 1968, after which he went overseas with the All Blacks.
3.
Not yet 20, Chris Laidlaw made his debut for the All Blacks in 1963 on their tour of Britain and France.
4.
Chris Laidlaw captained the team on three occasions: a test against Australia in 1969 and games against Victoria and South-West Africa in 1969 and 1970, respectively.
5.
In 1977 during a diplomatic cocktail party in New York Chris Laidlaw says the then NZ Prime Minister Robert Muldoon drunkenly harassed him, jabbing his finger in Chris Laidlaw's chest.
6.
In 1986, Chris Laidlaw became New Zealand's first resident High Commissioner to Harare, representing New Zealand's interests throughout Africa.
7.
Chris Laidlaw won the Wellington Central by-election in 1992, following the election of Fran Wilde to the Wellington mayoralty.
8.
Chris Laidlaw failed to win re-election in the 1993 general election, losing to National's Pauline Gardiner.
9.
Chris Laidlaw later published the claim in his book Rights of Passage, and again in his The New Zealand Herald column in March 2005, during Prince Charles' visit.
10.
Chris Laidlaw was a councillor and chair of the Wellington Regional Council and represented the Wellington constituency.
11.
Chris Laidlaw was elected at the 2007 local elections with 24,757 votes, the greatest number of votes for any candidate that year.
12.
Chris Laidlaw was re-elected in 2010 with 24,838 votes, in 2013 and in 2016.
13.
Chris Laidlaw succeeded Fran Wilde as chair of the Regional Council in 2015 and was re-elected as chair in 2016.
14.
Chris Laidlaw came under significant pressure over changes made to the Wellington bus network in July 2018.
15.
In July 2019 Chris Laidlaw announced that he would not be standing for re-election to the Wellington Regional Council in the October 2019 local elections.
16.
Chris Laidlaw hosted Radio New Zealand National's Sunday Morning programme from 2000 to 2013.
17.
Chris Laidlaw is married to prominent New Zealand art curator Helen Kedgley, and is a brother-in-law of former Green MP Sue Kedgley.
18.
Chris Laidlaw was announced as one of five people that will be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco on 24 November 2024.