24 Facts About Ron Mark

Ron Stanley Mark was born on 29 January 1954 and is a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand First party, and former soldier, who served as Minister of Defence between October 2017 and November 2020.

Ron Mark served as mayor of Carterton from 2010 to 2014, and again from 2022 defeating incumbent Greg Lang.

Ron Mark was fostered with six Pakeha foster families in Pahiatua, saying "I wouldn't have survived without them".

Ron Mark was educated at Tararua College from 1968 to 1970.

On 12 February 2012, Ron Mark told The New Zealand Herald that his partner of seven years, Christine Tracey, had made a leap year proposal.

Ron Mark pursued a military career between 1971 and 1990, initially serving in the New Zealand Army.

Between 1990 and 1996, Ron Mark was a commercial consultant, ran an import and export business, and was an amusement park operator.

Ron Mark was later involved in the discussions about the formation of the New Zealand Democratic Coalition.

Ron Mark was a list MP from the 1996 election until his party's failure to retain any seats in the 2008 election.

The New Zealand television channel TV3 was banned for three days from filming in Parliament in August 2006 for showing Ron Mark repeatedly giving the finger to another MP.

In 2009, Ron Mark told media that while he still had a subscription with New Zealand First, he was "not active", and that he would not rule out standing for Parliament with another party.

In 2010, Ron Mark was elected Mayor of Carterton in the Wairarapa.

Ron Mark stood as a New Zealand First candidate at the 2014 general election, finishing third in the Wairarapa electorate.

Ron Mark received 13 votes, coming second to incumbent Speaker David Carter.

In Parliament, Ron Mark was noted for being critical of attacks on private military contractors like himself, and critical of what he considered terrorist organizations like the African National Congress and those who fought against the government of Southern Rhodesia.

In November 2015, Ron Mark told National MP Melissa Lee to Go Back to Korea in parliament.

Ron Mark was succeeded as New Zealand First deputy leader by Fletcher Tabuteau on 27 February 2018.

On 9 November 2020, Ron Mark was granted retention of the title "The Honourable" for life, in recognition of his term as a member of the Executive Council.

Ron Mark said that he would not be attending the meeting or renewing his party membership, as he was finished with politics and not interested in returning to Parliament.

Ron Mark travelled to Ukraine to assist with humanitarian efforts during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ron Mark was re-elected as Mayor of Carterton in the 2022 New Zealand local elections.

Ron Mark later clarified his concerns that this was [an].

In early July 2024, Mayor Ron Mark urged other local councils to consider amalgamating into larger entities due to the financial costs of the Sixth National Government's "Local Water Done Well" programme, stating "there was no room for "fiefdoms doing their own thing in the future.

In mid January 2025, Ron Mark was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal by Minister for Maori Development Tama Potaka.