Judith Tizard

Tizard was born in Auckland's St Helen's maternity hospital in Pitt Street in 1956.[1] She was born into a political family – her mother, Dame Catherine Tizard, served as Mayor of Auckland and as Governor-General, and her father, Bob Tizard, was a prominent Labour Party cabinet minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Before succeeding her father as the Member of Parliament for Panmure in 1990, Tizard worked in the Labour Party Research Unit (1976–1977), was a member of the Auckland Electric Power Board (1977–1983), a restaurant owner and manager of O'Connells Restaurant, O'Connell St, Auckland (1978–1982), was involved in the catering industry (1981–1984), and was a member of the Auckland Regional Council (1988–1991). She has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History from the University of Auckland.

Tizard stood unsuccessfully for the seat of Remuera in the 1987 election, reducing the majority of Doug Graham to 406. She entered Parliament at the 1990 election as MP for Panmure. In November 1990 she was appointed as Labour's spokesperson for Immigration and Arts & Culture by Labour leader Mike Moore.[2] After being re-elected in 1993, she shifted her candidacy to Auckland Central, which she won in the 1996 election, defeating Sandra Lee. In 1993, Tizard was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.[3]

She became a Minister outside of Cabinet, serving as Minister of Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Associate Minister of Transport, Associate Minister of Commerce, and Minister responsible for Archives New Zealand and the National Library.

Before the 2008 general election Tizard was given the list placing of 38, a relatively low one for a minister. She was then defeated in her electorate by National's Nikki Kaye by a margin of 1,497 votes.[4] Her list placing meant she would not return to parliament unless Labour list MPs quit.[5]

On 25 March 2011, Labour list MP Darren Hughes resigned from Parliament. Whilst Tizard was next in line, Labour Party president Andrew Little expressed preference for Louisa Wall to replace Hughes as she intended to contest the upcoming 2011 general election,[6] unlike Tizard and the four other list candidates preceding Wall (Mark Burton, Mahara Okeroa, Martin Gallagher and Dave Hereora). Tizard, like her lower-ranked colleagues, decided not to take the seat.[7]

In 2008 Tizard championed an amendment to the Copyright Act, which required internet service providers (ISPs) to develop policies to terminate the Internet account of repeat copyright infringers. She defended this position when meeting Internet lobby groups, saying it is necessary to protect New Zealand artists, and referred to the release of New Zealand film Sione's Wedding, which, she claimed, was damaged by unlawful distribution on the Internet.

On 16 October 2008 a press release[8] was published by Tizard responding to "alarmist claims made by a small group of IT commentators in the media that recent amendments to the Copyright Act would have ISPs cutting off the accounts of their users based on unsubstantiated accusations of copyright infringement. [...] This is quiet [sic] simply untrue, and I am sure they know it." That press release seems to have been retracted.[9]

On 23 March 2009, the Prime Minister announced that the law would not take effect and would be re-written.[10]

• Ministerial profile
• Judith Tizard's speech to Parliament at the passing of the amendment to the Copyright Act
• Six different lobby groups decry "A deeply flawed law that undermines fundamental rights and simply will not work."
• A meeting with Judith Tizard about copyright