18 Facts About Warren Cooper

Warren Cooper was a National Party MP from 1975 to 1996, holding cabinet positions including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence.

Warren Cooper received his education at Musselburgh School and King's High School.

Warren Cooper later moved to Queenstown after leaving school at 15.

Warren Cooper worked as a retailer, a painting, decorating and signwriting contractor, and a motel manager.

Warren Cooper then became a real estate agent and was a leading member of the Jaycees, being awarded with life membership.

Warren Cooper was Mayor of Queenstown Borough from 1968 to 1975.

Warren Cooper joined the National Party and was elected a member of the party's dominion council in 1973.

Warren Cooper was first elected to Parliament in the 1975 election as MP for Otago Central, defeating the newly elected Ian Quigley of the Labour Party.

Warren Cooper was Minister of Tourism, Minister of Regional Development, Postmaster-General, and Minister of Broadcasting.

When Brian Talboys retired from Parliament in 1981, Warren Cooper was appointed to replace him as Minister of Foreign Affairs; he held this position until the government of Robert Muldoon was defeated in 1984.

Warren Cooper got along well with the now Prime Minister Muldoon despite having differing views on policy, Cooper describing Muldoon as a socialist while Muldoon thinking Cooper the caucus' chief private enterpriser.

Warren Cooper retained those portfolios for most of Jim McLay's brief tenure as National leader before being dropped from Foreign Affairs by McLay's successor Jim Bolger and instead given the Local Government, Regional Development and South Island Development portfolios.

Later, in the government of Jim Bolger, Warren Cooper served as Minister of Defence, Minister of Local Government and Minister of Internal Affairs.

Warren Cooper remained in Parliament until the 1996 election, when he stepped aside in favour of Gavan Herlihy.

Warren Cooper transitioned back to local-body politics and was Mayor of Queenstown-Lakes from 1995 to 2001.

Warren Cooper was involved in a public disagreement over development with actor Sam Neill in 2000, over development in Queenstown.

Warren Cooper said he enjoyed the stoush with Neill who later gave him a case of "socialist chardonnay".

In 1977, Warren Cooper was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1990 he received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.