21 Facts About Simon O'Connor

Simon David O'Connor was born on 25 February 1976 and is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives.

Simon O'Connor is a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade committee.

Simon O'Connor was a keen fencer and was president of the Auckland University Fencing Club.

Simon O'Connor completed training to be a Catholic priest, which involved working on the island of Taveuni in Fiji for two years at a vocational training centre, prison chaplaincy at Mount Eden Prison, military chaplaincy at Waiouru Army Base, and spending time with people in hospitals and hospices.

Simon O'Connor did not seek ordination, deciding instead to study and pursue a career in politics.

Simon O'Connor graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Political Studies, a Bachelor of Theology, and a Master of Arts with First Class Honours.

Simon O'Connor has worked as a contracts manager for Southern Cross Insurance.

Simon O'Connor was the chairperson of Monarchy New Zealand between 2010 and 2012 and remains a board member.

Simon O'Connor has been involved in the National Party since 2005.

Simon O'Connor was deputy chair of the party's Northern Region before seeking the National nomination for the Maungakiekie electorate in 2008.

Simon O'Connor lost the selection contest to Sam Lotu-Iiga, who went on to win the seat, but O'Connor was appointed as a list candidate for the 2008 general election.

Simon O'Connor was selected as the party's candidate in the Tamaki electorate following the withdrawal of sitting MP Allan Peachey shortly before the 2011 election and was elected to Parliament.

Simon O'Connor has served as Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee and spokesperson for corrections.

In conscience votes, in 2012 Simon O'Connor opposed raising the drinking age from 18, and in 2013 opposed the Marriage Amendment Bill, a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.

Simon O'Connor was one of only eight MPs to vote against the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022.

In late June 2022, O'Connor published a Facebook post welcoming the United States Supreme Court's overtuning of Roe v Wade.

Simon O'Connor subsequently removed the post after National Party leader Christopher Luxon stated that the post was "causing distress" and did not represent the party's position on abortion.

Simon O'Connor denied that he had been "gagged" by Luxon and explained that he had offered to taken down the post because it had attracted " toxic and unhealthy" comments.

In March 2023, Simon O'Connor apologised after making comments in Parliament that linked a mass shooting in the US to remarks that Marama Davidson, co-leader of the Greens, had made about white cis men.

Since 2020, Simon O'Connor has been a co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international group of legislators working towards reform on how democratic countries approach China, and specifically, the Chinese Communist Party.

Simon O'Connor was confirmed as the National Party candidate for Tamaki at a party meeting in November 2022.