22 Facts About Kevin Hague

Kevin Hague was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, on 18 March 1960, and moved to New Zealand in 1973 with his family when he was 13 years old.

Kevin Hague's father, Charles, was a building inspector and his mother, Margaret, was an accounting assistant; he has two siblings.

The family settled in Hamilton and Kevin Hague attended Hamilton Boys' High School, where he was on the student council and led a successful campaign to reinstate a school house system.

Kevin Hague became a naturalised New Zealand citizen in 1978.

Kevin Hague studied mathematics and physics at the University of Auckland and was president of the Auckland University Students' Association in 1980.

Kevin Hague met his partner, Ian, in 1984 while protesting an upcoming New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa, which was later cancelled.

Kevin Hague previously lived on Waiheke Island for ten years, where he ran a bookshop, and now lives in Greymouth.

Kevin Hague edited Terry Stewart's 1996 book Invisible families: a New Zealand resource for parents of lesbian and gay children.

Kevin Hague served on the National Health Committee from 2001 to 2005 and chaired the Public Health Advisory Committee from 2002 to 2004.

Kevin Hague left the AIDS Foundation in September 2003 to become general manager for planning and funding at the West Coast District Health Board and became the board's chief executive in 2005.

Kevin Hague was selected as the Green Party candidate for the West Coast-Tasman electorate ahead of the 2008 general election.

Kevin Hague finished third in the electorate contest but was elected to Parliament as a list MP for the Green Party, ranked 7 on the party list.

Kevin Hague re-contested West Coast-Tasman in the 2011 and 2014 elections and was returned to Parliament as a list MP each time, being placed third on the Green Party list.

Kevin Hague held responsibility for biosecurity, conservation, rural affairs, rainbow issues, and sport.

Kevin Hague successfully campaigned against Meridian Energy's plans to dam the Mokihinui River between 2009 and 2012, and advocated for reform of the Accident Compensation Corporation in 2012.

Kevin Hague had not supported the introduction of civil unions in 2004 because he did not think they provided equality for gay couples with heterosexual couples.

Kevin Hague promoted gay rights in Parliament, speaking in favour of the revocation of the gay panic defence in 2009 and drafting legislation to legalise same-sex marriage and to improve adoption law, including for gay adoptions, in 2012.

Kevin Hague organised political support for Louisa Wall's Marriage Amendment Bill, which legalised same-sex marriage in New Zealand in 2013.

Kevin Hague said once the bill had passed its third reading, in April 2013, there would be a number of "incredibly emotional" weddings between gay couples.

Kevin Hague contested the resulting leadership contest against first-term MP James Shaw.

Kevin Hague holds several health sector appointments made by the Sixth Labour Government, which came to power the year after he left Parliament.

Kevin Hague was reappointed to the chair of the Public Health Advisory Committee in November 2022 for a three-year term.