12 Facts About Russell Fairbrother

Elwin Russell Fairbrother is a lawyer and former New Zealand politician.

Russell Fairbrother was a Labour Party Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2008.

Russell Fairbrother debated for NZ Universities against a touring Australian University team.

Russell Fairbrother served as president of the Wellington Speaking Union.

Russell Fairbrother was president of the Napier branch of Grey Power, a lobby group for the elderly and a past president and then patron of HB Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society.

Russell Fairbrother was first elected to Parliament in the 2002 election, replacing long-serving Labour MP Geoff Braybrooke in the Napier seat.

Russell Fairbrother was one of three government appointments to the special select committee set up to report to Parliament on New Zealand's constitutional arrangements.

Russell Fairbrother was elected chair of the Labour back bench committee and appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General.

Russell Fairbrother was selected by the Prime Minister to travel to and observe East Timor's first domestic democratic election.

Russell Fairbrother was unable to win the electorate off Chris Tremain in the 2008 election and, since he was not successful in regaining his seat, he was not returned to parliament.

Russell Fairbrother successfully secured acquittals in the high-profile murder cases of Zion King, and Wilson Apatu, who had shot a man four times in front of his family, killing him, before carjacking a couple at knifepoint.

Russell Fairbrother was the defence lawyer for ex-Dunedin dean Jonathan Kirkpatrick after his NZ$600,000 fraud at the Auckland University of Technology.