31 Facts About Clare Curran

Clare Curran was the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications, and Digital Media and Associate Minister for the Accident Compensation Corporation in the Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand.

Clare Curran has a BA double major in Anthropology and History from the University of Otago, and BA Honours in Anthropology from Victoria University of Wellington.

Clare Curran worked in communications for Australian unions over a number of years before returning to New Zealand in 2002 with her young family.

Clare Curran continued to work in public relations in Dunedin.

Clare Curran quickly rose to prominence within the Otago-Southland hierarchy, becoming a member of the Council of the New Zealand Labour Party.

In 2006 Clare Curran presented a paper to the Otago-Southland region of the Labour Party on "capturing the language" on climate change policy.

In May 2006 Clare Curran was appointed to a contractual role within the Ministry for the Environment following a recommendation from Environment Minister David Parker's office to provide communications advice on the Government's climate change strategy.

Logan resigned as Chief Executive of the Ministry hours before the State Services Commission's report into the Clare Curran affair was released.

Clare Curran is currently a member of many unions and political groups.

Clare Curran was on the Council of the New Zealand Labour Party as Otago-Southland regional representative.

Clare Curran was previously chair of Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust and is currently co-general manager.

In 2007, Clare Curran launched a bid to unseat sitting MP David Benson-Pope as the Labour Party candidate for Dunedin South.

Clare Curran won the selection contest ahead of Benson-Pope and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union's Don Pryde.

Clare Curran advocated for the return of rail engineering to the former Hillside Engineering site in South Dunedin and highlighted South Dunedin's vulnerability to extreme weather events and rising sea levels.

Clare Curran was elected as a Cabinet Minister by the Labour Party caucus following Labour's formation of a coalition government with New Zealand First and the Greens.

At the 2017 NetHui, Clare Curran publicly proposed as part of her 100-day plan the formation of a chief technology officer role for New Zealand Government.

In late March 2018, Clare Curran became the subject of media attention after it emerged that she had secretly met with Radio New Zealand broadcaster and senior manager Carol Hirschfeld on 5 December 2017 outside of parliamentary business.

Clare Curran initially claimed the meeting was coincidental but later admitted it had been pre-arranged.

Clare Curran's actions drew criticism from the National Party's broadcasting spokesperson Melissa Lee, who accused Clare Curran of engaging in a cover-up.

Clare Curran had failed to disclose the meeting in her ministerial diary and to inform staff or officials about it.

Clare Curran apologised to the Prime Minister for her actions and resigned from her positions as Minister of Government Digital Services and Minister responsible for Open Government.

Clare Curran kept her Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media and associate ACC portfolios.

On 5 September 2018, Clare Curran "appeared flustered" and "stumbled over her answers" when answering questions during question time from opposition National MP Melissa Lee regarding Clare Curran's use of a personal Gmail account for Ministerial use.

On 27 August 2019, Clare Curran announced that she would be retiring from Parliament and not seek election at the 2020 general election.

Clare Curran alleged that, in 2012, Dunedin-based National list MP Michael Woodhouse and other National MPs had taken part in an event where she was mocked with a toilet seat emblazoned with her photo.

Clare Curran gave Chisholm an image of Woodhouse with the seat.

Clare Curran stated that in 2006, before she entered Parliament, National MP Nick Smith had compared her with Joseph Goebbels, and that during their time in Parliament, Jacinda Ardern had been derided for her then childless status by National MPs Maggie Barry and Amy Adams.

Shortly after leaving Parliament, Clare Curran studied an English course at the University of Otago and began to write a crime novel.

Clare Curran is chair of Dunedin Night Shelter Trust, a member of the University of Otago Council and a director of Crown company Network for Learning.

Clare Curran helped secure visas for the parents of Nisha Vijayan, a nurse at the Dunedin Hospital whose husband had died unexpectedly.

In June 2011, Clare Curran was sent out of Parliament for wearing a rugby shirt in the Otago rugby union team Highlanders' blue, gold, and maroon colours in protest of their new lime green colour.