15 Facts About Jim Sutton

Jim Sutton has held a range of ministerial portfolios including Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Affairs, Biosecurity, and Trade Negotiations.

Jim Sutton came to New Zealand while young, arriving in 1949.

Jim Sutton attended Timaru Boys' High School before becoming a farmer.

Jim Sutton has held a number of offices in Federated Farmers, a nationwide agricultural association.

Jim Sutton was Director of Trustbank South Canterbury, chaired the New Zealand Aids Foundation, served as a board member of the Public Health Commission, and was deputy chair of both the New Zealand Lotteries Commission and Meridian Energy.

Jim Sutton first stood for parliament in the election of 1981, becoming the Labour Party's candidate for the Waitaki electorate.

Jim Sutton retained his electorate in the 1987 general election, but was defeated in the election of 1990.

Jim Sutton returned to farming for three years before being returned to Parliament as the MP for Timaru in the 1993 general election.

The switch to the MMP electoral system caused significant redistribution of electorates for the 1996 general election, and Jim Sutton became the MP for Aoraki, which included both of his former electorates.

Jim Sutton served as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Forestry for most of 1990, leaving cabinet when Labour was defeated in that year's election.

However, when Labour won the 1999 general election, Jim Sutton became a minister in the Fifth Labour Government.

Jim Sutton resumed his Agriculture portfolio while becoming Minister for Rural Affairs and Minister for Trade Negotiations.

Jim Sutton remained in parliament as a list MP, but announced his retirement from politics on 10 July 2006, effective from 1 August 2006.

Jim Sutton was replaced from the Labour list by Charles Chauvel.

Jim Sutton subsequently became Ambassador for Trade and the chairman of Landcorp, an appointment renewed by the National government in 2009.