27 Facts About Richard Prebble

Richard William Prebble was born on 7 February 1948 and is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament.

Richard Prebble's father was an Anglo-Catholic Anglican priest, and a leader in the Charismatic Renewal as archdeacon at St Pauls, on retirement he and Mary were received into the Roman Catholic Church.

Richard Prebble was educated at Auckland Grammar School before becoming a barrister and solicitor in 1971.

Richard Prebble's older brother, John Richard Prebble KC, is an emeritus professor in law at Victoria University of Wellington.

John's daughter Antonia Richard Prebble is an actor with a number of television roles.

Richard Prebble was originally a member of the Labour Party and in 1965 he became chairman of the Auckland Central Electorate Committee.

When Douglas announced his retirement Richard Prebble was selected, aged 27, to replace him as Labour's candidate in the seat.

Richard Prebble was successful in being elected in the Auckland Central electorate at the 1975 election.

Richard Prebble was given a seat in the shadow cabinet, but was displeased at the change in portfolio allocations in which he lost justice and was instead given immigration, regional development and the environment.

On 2 September 1983, Richard Prebble was injured in a head-on car collision whilst he was returning to Wellington after addressing the Taxi Proprietors' Association conference.

Richard Prebble was taken to Dannevirke Hospital and was treated for a concussion and broken pelvis.

Richard Prebble pressed for a Pacific affairs ministerial portfolio to be established, having an interest in the experiences of Pacific Island New Zealanders due to his time working in Fiji and the large concentration of Pacific Islanders living in his Auckland Central constituency.

Richard Prebble held more portfolios than any other minister in the government as his post of Minister for State Owned Enterprises absorbed almost all the portfolios of government owned operations and assets which were scheduled to be privatised.

Richard Prebble publicly counterattacked in a television interview that night saying that Lange was acting dictatorially and was in no state to be making decisions.

Lange stated at a press conference that Richard Prebble had misrepresented the detail and nature of a private conversation between the two.

When Lange's replacement as Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer held a complete re-election of cabinet in January 1990, Richard Prebble was elected and returned to the frontbench and cabinet.

Richard Prebble retained his Auckland Central seat in the 1990 election.

Richard Prebble joined Auckland businessman Malcolm McConnell to create the company McConnell International.

However, in March 1996, Douglas stepped down as the new party's leader, and Richard Prebble took over beating former Federated Farmers president Owen Jennings for the party leadership.

Richard Prebble won the Wellington Central electorate following a campaign that saw National Party leader and Prime Minister Jim Bolger predict Richard Prebble would win rather than National's candidate.

Richard Prebble lost his Wellington Central seat in the 1999 election, but remained in Parliament as a list MP and leader of ACT.

Richard Prebble was re-elected as a list MP and leader of ACT in the 2002 election.

Richard Prebble was replaced as ACT leader by Rodney Hide in 2004, and did not stand in the 2005 election.

Richard Prebble became campaign manager for ACT leading up to the 2014 election with his stated aim to bring 9 ACT MP's into Parliament; this did not eventuate however as ACT did not gain any new seats, only retaining Epsom.

Labour Member of Parliament Willie Jackson opposed Richard Prebble's appointment, citing his alignment with the ACT Party's policies towards Maori including the controversial Treaty Principles Bill.

In early March 2025, Richard Prebble resigned from the Tribunal, citing disagreements with their interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi particularly the narrative that Maori people never ceded sovereignty to the New Zealand Crown.

Richard Prebble now lives in Rotorua and he is a columnist with The New Zealand Herald.