Andrew Kirton is a New Zealand business executive, lobbyist and politician. He was general secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party from 2016 to 2018, campaign manager for the Labour Party in the 2017 general election, and chief of staff to prime minister Chris Hipkins in 2023.
Andrew Kirton | |
|---|---|
 Kirton speaking in 2017 | |
| Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
| In office 8 February 2023 – 27 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Chris Hipkins |
| Deputy | Holly Donald |
| Preceded by | Raj Nahna |
| 15th General Secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party | |
| In office 15 January 2016 – 10 August 2018 | |
| Leader | Andrew Little Jacinda Ardern |
| Preceded by | Tim Barnett |
| Succeeded by | Andre Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Taumarunui, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Camilla Belich |
| Relations | Neil Kirton (uncle) |
| Children | Three |
| Alma mater | Lincoln University |
Early life and family
editKirton was born and raised in Taumarunui.[1] He grew up in a Catholic household as one of four children on a dairy farm where his political beliefs were spurred after the value of the farm was halved and farming subsidies were abolished as part of the Rogernomics reforms.[2] His father, Weston Kirton, served two terms as mayor of Ruapehu District from 1995 to 2001 and ran unsuccessfully as the National Party candidate in Taupo in both the 2002 and 2005 elections.[3] An uncle, Neil Kirton, was a member of Parliament for New Zealand First (later independent) from 1996 to 1999.[2]
Kirton boarded at Sacred Heart College in Auckland before studying at Lincoln University, where he earned a bachelor of commerce and management. Later, he undertook further study at the London School of Economics.[3] He was active in student politics and co-chaired the New Zealand University Students' Association in 2004 with future Wellington City Councillor Fleur Fitzsimons and in 2005 with future Labour MP Camila Belich. Kirton and Belich later married and have three children.[4]
Career
editKirton worked as a communications advisor to junior minister Winnie Laban and prime minister Helen Clark in the final term of the Fifth Labour Government and moved to the United Kingdom when the government was defeated in 2008.[1][2][3] After studying politics and government at the London School of Economics, Kirton was head of public affairs for Heathrow Airport before joining international construction company, Mace Group, leading their global corporate affairs division.[3]
In January 2016, he returned to New Zealand to succeed Tim Barnett as general secretary of the Labour Party.[3] He was also the Labour Party's campaign manager for the 2017 general election.[5][6] Kirton said he was unsuccessfully "warned off" from working for the party by senior left-wing figures including Heather Simpson and Helen Kelly due to the Labour Party's poor showing in political opinion polls at that time.[7] Regardless, after the installation of Jacinda Ardern as party leader in August 2017, the party was successful in forming a new government after the September 2017 election. Kirton was credited with setting up revitalised fundraising and volunteering infrastructure.[2]
In February 2018, Newsroom reported four allegations of indecent assault by a single perpetrator during a Labour Party youth camp.[8] The party later released a statement apologising for its handling of the situation.[8]
When asked in 2017 if he held aspirations on entering Parliament himself, Kirton did not rule out running one day, but expressed a desire to work in the private sector again first.[9] In June 2018 Kirton announced he was stepping down as Labour general secretary after accepting a job with Air New Zealand as their head of government and industry affairs and, after a July 2019 restructure, head of corporate affairs.[10][11] He worked under chief executive Christopher Luxon, a future National Party prime minister. After leaving Air New Zealand in 2021, Kirton worked as a lobbyist.[12]
In February 2023, the new prime minister Chris Hipkins appointed Kirton as his chief of staff, replacing Raj Nahna. He began the role on 8 February 2023.[13][14] Hipkins was criticised by RNZ journalist Guyon Espiner for appointing a lobbyist as his chief of staff.[15] After Labour lost the election, Kirton continued as Hipkins' chief of staff during the post-election caretaker period but decided not to follow Hipkins into Opposition. Kirton was succeeded as chief of staff by Chris Bramwell.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b Haworth, Nigel (15 January 2016). "New General Secretary for New Zealand Labour Party" (Press release). New Zealand Labour Party. Archived from the original on 24 July 2017.
- ^ a b c d Cheng, Derek (17 March 2018). "General secretary Andrew Kirton's political ambitions have taken a knock this week". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Moir, Jo (15 January 2016). "Andrew Kirton appointed as Labour Party's new general secretary". Stuff. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "Beehive Diaries: A lockdown baby for new MP". NZ Herald. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Labour appoints election campaign manager". Newshub. MediaWorks TV. 28 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "Labour appoints key 2017 campaign roles". New Zealand Labour Party. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "Labour's rise to power 'one hell of a ride' - outgoing general secretary". RNZ. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ a b Jennings, Melanie Reid, Mark (11 March 2018). "Sexual misconduct alleged at boozy Labour Party camp". Newsroom. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Moir, Jo (25 November 2017). "Labour's campaign manager on how party turned things around in just eight weeks". Stuff. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ "Labour's General Secretary Andrew Kirton steps down for new job at Air NZ". The New Zealand Herald. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Anthony, John (23 June 2020). "Air New Zealand completes restructure as it adjusts to life as a smaller airline". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Moir, Jo (30 January 2023). "PM's chance to carve a new path with Cabinet reshuffle". Newsroom. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Andrew Kirton appointed as Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' chief of staff". February 2023.
- ^ "Chris Hipkins appoints new chief of staff". The Spinoff. February 2023.
- ^ "Prime Minister's chief of staff Andrew Kirton led lobbying firm that fought against reforms now binned by Chris Hipkins". RNZ. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Beehive Diaries: A new chief of staff for Hipkins, confusion over the Deputy PM". NZ Herald. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.