Rt Hon Don McKinnon

• Deputy Prime Minister
• Leader of the House
• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Minister of Pacific Island Affairs
• MP, Albany

Home || Policies || Speeches|| Press || Departments

Biography
The RT. HON. DON MCKINNON was born in London of New Zealand parents on 27 February 1939 and educated at Nelson College, Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington DC and Lincoln University.

He was a farm management consultant and real estate agent before being elected to Parliament for the newly formed Albany seat in November 1978.

Mr McKinnon became junior Government Whip in October 1980, Senior Whip in February 1982 and Deputy Leader of the National party in September 1987 when he also became the Opposition spokesperson on Health and Defence.

Sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of External Relations and Trade on 2 November 1990, Mr McKinnon is chairman of the Cabinet Social and Family Policy Committee and sits on the Cabinet Strategy Committee and Cabinet External Relations, Defence and Security Committee. Mr McKinnon was also appointed Minister of Pacific Island Affairs in October 1991, a member of the Privy Council in March 1992. and Leader of the House in March 1993.

Parliamentary select committees he served on between 1978 and 1990 include Public Expenditure, Health and Welfare, Social Services, Foreign Affairs and Defence.

Mr McKinnon has four children: Margaret, Peter, Stuart and Cameron. Three are qualified and working, and one is still in tertiary education.

He has been interested in debating for many years and was New Zealand oratory winner for the Jaycees in 1967. For about eight years he was tutor of the Paremoremo Prison Debating Club. The prison is in his electorate. A rugby, rugby league and cricket enthusiast, Mr McKinnon also plays tennis and is often seen jogging his 20 km per week on the roads near his home or on the streets of Wellington.

In April 1995, Mr McKinnon married Clare de Lore, a public relations consultant. Ms de Lore is a former political journalist. She enjoys music, theatre and travelling and is a member of Amnesty International.