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Mark Patterson (New Zealand politician)

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The Honourable
Mark Patterson
MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for New Zealand First party list
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 October 2023
In office
23 September 2017 – 17 October 2020
3rd Minister for Rural Communities
Incumbent
Assumed office
27 November 2023
Prime MinisterChristopher Luxon
Preceded byKieran McAnulty
Personal details
Born
Mark William James Patterson

1970 (age 54–55)
Political partyNew Zealand First (2015–present)
Other political
affiliations		National (2007–2015)

Mark William James Patterson MP (born 1970)[1] is a New Zealand farmer, lobbyist and politician. He is a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the New Zealand First party.

Since 2023, he has served as Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister for Agriculture in the Sixth National Government of New Zealand.

Early life and career

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Patterson was born in Canterbury and raised with his three sisters on his family's farm at Southbridge. His ancestors arrived in New Zealand in the 1860s and had owned the family farm since 1905.[2] In the 1990s, Patterson was a pupil at Ellesmere College, where future National Party MP Gerry Brownlee was his woodwork teacher.[3]

Patterson moved to work on a sheep and cattle farm near Oamaru in 2004. With his wife, Jude Howell Patterson, he purchased a 500-hectare sheep farm in Lawrence, Otago, in 2008.[4] The couple have two daughters together.[4][3] Patterson and his wife are directors of Ngapara Farms Limited, a sheep and beef farming and forestry company.[5][6]

Patterson was involved in the reform of the meat industry. He was deputy chair of the Meat Industry Excellence Group, a red meat lobby group, in 2014 and 2015.[7][8] Patterson was a vocal advocate for a failed merger between the two major co-operatives, Silver Fern Farms and Alliance Group, and was critical of Silver Fern Farms' joint venture with Bright Food subsidiary Shanghai Maling Aquarius Ltd.[9][10] Patterson's lobbying against the deal was characterised as being "anti-Chinese."[11] In 2017, he criticised the sale of the Jericho Station farm at Manapouri to Chinese ownership, stating that New Zealand citizenship should be a requirement to purchase New Zealand land.[12]

After losing his re-election bid in 2020, Patterson returned to his farm in Lawrence. He was chair of the Otago branch of Federated Farmers from 2021 until 2023.[13][14]

Early political career

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Patterson was previously involved with the National Party and unsuccessfully contested the nomination for the Clutha-Southland electorate in 2014 upon Bill English's decision to become a List MP, but lost to Todd Barclay.[7] He joined New Zealand First after Winston Peters won the Northland by-election for New Zealand First in 2015, saying that he supported New Zealand First's new rural focus.[13]

Member of Parliament

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First term, 2017–2020

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2017–2020 52nd List 7 NZ First
2023–present 54th List 4 NZ First

In the 2017 election Patterson stood for New Zealand First in the Clutha-Southland electorate and was placed 7 on the New Zealand First party list.[15][7] He duly entered parliament via the party list.[16] He was the only South-Island based MP in his party.[17]

In his first term, Patterson served as a member on both the education and workforce, and primary production committees. He was also the New Zealand First spokesperson for agriculture and primary industries, biosecurity, Christchurch earthquake recovery, Crown minerals, customs, food safety, intellectual property, and land information.[18]

As agriculture spokesperson, Patterson was critical of the proposed sale of Westland Milk to the China-based Yili Group.[19] The purchase went ahead in 2023. He criticised Air New Zealand for using plant-based meats on some of its flights and congratulated Virgin Australia on announcing it was searching for a New Zealand-based red meat supplier for its trans-Tasman flights.[20][21]

Patterson sponsored three bills in his first parliamentary term, the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income (Fair Residency) Amendment Bill, the Gore District Council (Otama Rural Water Supply) Bill, and the Farm Debt Mediation Bill.[22]

Patterson's superannuation bill was introduced in October 2018; it proposed doubling the minimum residency qualification for New Zealand Superannuation from 10 years to 20 years after age 20. The bill had not been reported out of select committee when Patterson was defeated in the 2020 general election; the bill transferred to National MP Andrew Bayly and passed into law on 14 November 2021.[23] In a speech on the bill, Patterson said the intent was to limit recent immigrants and New Zealanders who had spent the majority of their lives overseas from claiming New Zealand superannuation.[24]

The Otama Rural Water Supply bill, on behalf of Gore District Council, transferred the ownership of the rural water supply scheme in Otama, Southland from the council to a private company. It passed in May 2019.[25] The Farm Debt Mediation Bill was introduced in May 2018 and progressed to select committee, but was withdrawn in favour of a similar bill backed by the Government that was enacted in 2019.[26]

In conscience votes on legislation, Patterson voted in favour of the End of Life Choice Bill and supported Jenny Marcroft's amendment to require the bill's passage to be contingent on a nationwide referendum.[27] He voted in favour of the Abortion Legislation Bill at its first and second readings, but removed his support for the bill at its third reading after Parliament rejected a bid for that bill to also be decided by referendum.[28]

Patterson was announced as the New Zealand First candidate for the newly formed Taieri electorate for the 2020 general election and was ranked at 7 on the New Zealand First party list.[29] During the 2020 general election held on 17 October, Patterson finished fourth in Taieri.[30] He and his fellow New Zealand First MPs lost their seats after the party's vote dropped to 2.7%, below the five percent threshold needed to remain in Parliament.[31][32]

Second term, 2023–present

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Patterson was ranked fourth on New Zealand First's party list for the 2023 general election and re-contested the Taieri electorate.[33] Patterson finished fourth in Taieri, gaining 3,069 votes.[34] New Zealand First reentered Parliament, with 6.08% of the popular vote and eight seats; Patterson was re-elected as a list MP.[35][36] He said he was motivated to return to Parliament in protest of the Labour Government's environment and agriculture policies.[37]

Following the formation of the National-led coalition government, Patterson was appointed Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister of Agriculture in late November 2023.[38] He was additionally appointed Associate Minister for Regional Development in January 2024.[39] Patterson has delegated responsibility for the wool industry.[40] He launched the government's "woolshed roadshow" in 2024.[41] In 2025, he announced that government buildings would be required to use wool products, rather than synthetic fibres, in construction and refurbishment.[42] Due to a pecuniary interest and potential conflict, Patterson stood aside from decisions related to Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) settings, but not before taking part in ETS decisions in May 2024.[6]

In late February 2025, the Ministry for Primary Industries stopped sending staff to Patterson's office after complaints from staff. While the complaints were not directly about Patterson, their nature remained undisclosed for privacy reasons.[43]

References

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  1. ^ "Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards" (PDF). New Zealand Parliament. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. ^ Tohill, Jo-ann (7 February 2024). "Former MP Mark Patterson back to the grass roots". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Patterson, Mark (14 November 2017). "Maiden speech". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b "On the campaign trail for meat reform". The Southland Times. 13 January 2015. p. 11.
  5. ^ "Ngapara Farms Limited". Companies Register (in Māori). 7 December 2005. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  6. ^ a b Daalder, Marc (6 April 2025). "Call for PM to step in over minister's carbon trading conflict of interest". Newsroom. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Woolf, Amber-Leigh (29 May 2017). "NZ First Clutha-Southland candidate Mark Patterson keen to shine light on local issues". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  8. ^ Fulton, Tim (29 October 2014). "SFF looks at new direction". The Press. pp. A.11.
  9. ^ Patterson, Mark (28 September 2016). "Only time will tell if Silver Fern Farms deal is a good decision". Stuff. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  10. ^ Patterson, Mark (11 August 2016). "Silver Fern Farms deal not best available". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  11. ^ Rural News Group (20 April 2019). "Can he add?". www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  12. ^ Patterson, Mark (9 May 2017). "Why is Landcorp selling a farm to overseas buyers?". Stuff. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Back from the Beehive". www.farmersweekly.co.nz. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Mark's set, ready to hit the ground running". www.farmersweekly.co.nz. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  15. ^ "The NZ First Party list for the 2017 General Election". Scoop. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  16. ^ "Successful Candidates". Electoral Commission. 23 September 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  17. ^ Tohill, Jo-ann (26 September 2017). "South Island's only NZ First MP shown ropes at Parliament". Stuff. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  18. ^ "Patterson, Mark – New Zealand Parliament". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  19. ^ Hutching, Gerald; Stevenson, Rebecca (20 June 2019). "Chinese giant Yili's bonus offer for Westland Milk sale a 'conflict of interest'". Stuff. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  20. ^ Chapman, Madeleine (24 July 2018). "An interview with NZ's No 1 hamburger activist MP". The Spinoff. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Impossible burger a 'slap in the face'". The New Zealand Herald. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Bills (proposed laws) – New Zealand Parliament". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  23. ^ "New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income (Fair Residency) Amendment Bill". bills.parliament.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  24. ^ "New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income (Fair Residency) Amendment Bill — First Reading – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Gore District Council (Otama Rural Water Supply) Bill". bills.parliament.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Farm Debt Mediation Bill". Parliament.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  27. ^ Houlahan, Mike (16 November 2019). "MPs thought carefully on euthanasia". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  28. ^ "How MPs voted on abortion law reform". The New Zealand Herald. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  29. ^ "New Zealand First MP Mark Patterson Selected As Candidate For Taieri". www.scoop.co.nz (Press release). New Zealand First. Scoop News. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  30. ^ "Taieri – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  31. ^ "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  32. ^ Owen, Catrin (18 October 2020). "Election 2020: Who are the MPs ejected from Parliament?". Stuff. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Election 2023: New Zealand First releases party list". Radio New Zealand. 16 September 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  34. ^ "Taieri – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  35. ^ "Official count – Overall Results". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  36. ^ "2023 General Election: Successful candidates". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  37. ^ "From the back paddock to the Beehive". www.farmersweekly.co.nz. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  38. ^ "Cabinet lineup for new government unveiled – who gets what?". Radio New Zealand. 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  39. ^ "Prime Minister announces minor Cabinet reshuffle". Radio New Zealand. 26 January 2024. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  40. ^ "Delegations to Associate Ministers". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). 20 March 2024. Archived from the original on 3 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  41. ^ "Government woolshed roadshow kicks off". The Beehive. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  42. ^ "Govt mandates wool carpets, boosting farmers and manufacturers". Rural News Group. 9 April 2025. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  43. ^ Ensor, Jamie (25 February 2025). "Ministry stops sending workers to NZ First minister Mark Patterson's office amid complaints, issues between staff". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
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