Matt Robson
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The Honourable Matt Robson |
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|---|---|
| Deputy Leader of the Progressive Party | |
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In office 2002–2012 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Alliance list |
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In office 1996 – 2002 |
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| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Progressive Party list |
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In office 2002 – 2005 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 January 1950 Brisbane, Australia |
| Nationality | Australia New Zealand |
| Political party |
Progressive (2002–2012) Alliance (1991–2002) Labour (before 1989) |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Matthew Peter (Matt) Robson (born 5 January 1950) is a New Zealand politician. He was deputy leader of the Progressive Party, and served in the Parliament from 1996 to 2005, first as a member of the Alliance, then as a Progressive.
Robson was born in Brisbane, Australia. He attained an MA (Hons) in Political Studies and later studied law, and worked both as a lawyer and a teacher. He also spent three years in the Netherlands as a technical editor.
Robson was originally a member of the Labour Party, holding several positions within the party organisation. He was deeply opposed to the policies of Roger Douglas, the Labour Party's Minister of Finance, and when Jim Anderton, a Labour MP, quit the party, Robson followed him. Robson was heavily involved in the establishment of Anderton's NewLabour Party, which later became the core of the Alliance.
Robson was elected to Parliament as an Alliance list MP in the 1996 election, and again in the 1999 election, having stood in Maungakiekie, and coming in third place at both elections. In the Labour-Alliance coalition government (1999–2002), Robson was Minister of Corrections, Minister for Courts, Minister for Land Information, and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (with responsibility for foreign aid). Towards the end of 1999, however, the Alliance began to collapse, with a rift opening between the party organisation and its parliamentary leadership. In this dispute, Robson sided with the parliamentary leader, Anderton. When Anderton finally left the Alliance and established the Progressive Coalition (later renamed as the Progressive Party), Robson followed him and became the new party's deputy leader. In the 2002 election, the Progressives only won 1.7% of the vote. However, Anderton easily held onto his seat, allowing Robson (standing in Manukau East, where he came fifth), as the 2nd-ranked person on the Progressive list, to return to Parliament. However, the Progressives' strength was considerably weaker compared to that of the Alliance in 1999, so Robson lost his cabinet posts.
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