Sue Wood

Susanne Mary Wood (born 1948) served as the president of the New Zealand National Party from 1982 to 1986, the youngest person and the first woman to hold the post.[1]

Early life

Wood was born in Onehunga, Auckland in 1948. She attended Onehunga High School, the University of Auckland, graduating in history, and Auckland Teachers College. She was a swimming champion and coach from 1967 to 1976, and a cadet at the Auckland Star newspaper.[2]

Career

Wood has been a teacher, journalist, swimming coach and business woman both before and after becoming involved in politics.[3][4][5] She first became active in the Young Nationals in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1974 she became secretary of the party's Epsom branch, becoming women's vice-president in 1977 and serving on the Dominion Policy Committee from 1979.[2]

Her term as president, from 1982 to 1986, included the latter years of the Third National Government of Robert Muldoon, the 1984 general election, and the associated constitutional crisis as well as grappling with internal party politics.[2]

Wood stood as the party candidate for Onehunga in the 1980 by-election and in the 1981 general election; she was then teaching at Onehunga High School.[5] In 2002 she stood in the seat of Mana, being defeated by Labour MP Luamanuvao Winnie Laban. Although she held a relatively high party-list ranking of 19, National's poor overall result in the 2002 election meant that she failed to enter Parliament.

She was the campaign manager for Auckland Future in 2016.[6]

Honours

In 1993, Wood was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.[7]

References
  1. James, Colin (2016). "Party women: Sue Wood". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. Gustafson, Barry. (1986). The first 50 years : a history of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland [N.Z.]: Reed Methuen. pp. 176–80, 391. ISBN 0-474-00177-6. OCLC 20247757.
  3. Wood, Susanne Mary; Gustafson, Barry Selwyn (1985). "Interview with Sue Wood". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  4. "Sue Wood To Stand For National List". www.scoop.co.nz. 2 May 2002. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  5. Wood, Sue (1986). "Balancing aspirations". In Clark, Margaret (ed.). Beyond expectations: fourteen New Zealand women write about their lives. Wellington, N.Z: Allen & Unwin/Port Nicholson Press. pp. 167–180. ISBN 978-0-86861-650-6. OCLC 1103883342.
  6. "Nats back new Auckland ticket". New Zealand Herald. 28 October 2015. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  7. "New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993 – register of recipients". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2020.


Party political offices
Preceded by
George Chapman		 President of the National Party
1982–1986		 Succeeded by
Neville Young


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