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Chris Bishop
National Party

Chris Bishop

Minister of Housing, Attorney-General

Electorate: Hutt South

Before Politics

  • β—†Lobbyist for tobacco company Philip Morris
  • β—†Member of NZ Youth Parliament 2000

Parliamentary Career

  • β—†MP for Hutt South
  • β—†Chairperson of National's 2023 Election Campaign
  • β—†Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, RMA Reform, Sport and Recreation, Leader of the House 2023–2026
  • β—†Attorney-General from April 2026

Key Positions

  • β†’Significant housing supply reform
  • β†’RMA (Resource Management Act) overhaul
  • β†’Tougher state housing tenancy rules

Accomplishments

  • βœ“Named 'Politician of the Year' by The Post in 2025
  • βœ“Described as 'minister for everything' for his outsized influence in government
  • βœ“Led major RMA reform legislation

Controversies

  • !Former lobbyist for Philip Morris tobacco company
  • !Filmed calling a Māori cultural performance 'a load of crap' at 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards β€” appeared to be intoxicated
  • !Reported to have attempted to gather support to challenge Luxon for leadership in November 2025
  • !State housing eviction policy criticised as vindictive by opposition

Bio Summary

Housing and Attorney-General focused on liberalising planning laws to address NZ's chronic housing shortage.

Neutral disclaimer: Fair Say NZ provides neutral profile data for civic education purposes. Information is based on publicly available sources. Verify via official Parliament and party websites before acting on any detail.