Margaret Austin

Margaret Elizabeth Austin CNZM CRSNZ (née Leonard; born 1 April 1933) is a former New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1984 to 1996, representing first the Labour Party and then briefly United New Zealand.

The Honourable Margaret Austin CNZM CRSNZ
Austin in 2023
23rd Minister of Internal Affairs
In office 9 February 1990 – 2 November 1990
Prime Minister	David Lange Geoffrey Palmer
Preceded by	Michael Bassett
Succeeded by	Graeme Lee
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Yaldhurst
In office 14 July 1984 – 12 October 1996
Preceded by	Mick Connelly
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	Margaret Elizabeth Leonard 1 April 1933 (1933-04) (age 91) Dunedin, New Zealand
Political party	Labour United
Profession	Teacher

Life

Early life, family and career

Austin was born in Dunedin on 1 April 1933, and was educated at St Dominic's College, Dunedin, and Sacred Heart College, Christchurch. She studied at Canterbury University College and Christchurch Teachers' College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1953 and a Diploma of Teaching in 1954. She went on to teach in Christchurch and in 1970 became the head of science at Christchurch Girls' High School and later became senior mistress at Riccarton High School in 1977. She was also a member of the Educational Administration Society and was its president for three years.

In 1955, she married John Austin, and the couple went on to have three children.

Political career

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1984–1987	41st	Yaldhurst			Labour
1987–1990	42nd	Yaldhurst			Labour
1990–1993	43rd	Yaldhurst			Labour
1993–1995	44th	Yaldhurst			Labour
1995–1996	Changed allegiance to:				United NZ

She was first elected to Parliament in the 1984 election as the MP for Yaldhurst, an electorate in western Christchurch. After Labour's re-election at the 1987 election, Austin was elected her party's Senior Whip following Michael Cullen's elevation to cabinet.

During her time in Parliament, Austin served as a Minister of Research and Development, Internal Affairs and of Arts, Culture and Heritage at the end of the Fourth Labour Government. In November 1990, when Labour was in opposition, she was appointed as Shadow Minister of Education by Labour leader Mike Moore.

She held the Yaldhurst seat for the Labour Party until 1995 when the seat was abolished, in preparation for the changeover to MMP, and she joined with six other MPs to found the centrist United New Zealand Party. Like all United New Zealand MPs (but Peter Dunne), Austin was not re-elected in the 1996 election; Austin stood in the new Ilam electorate where she came third.

Later activities

She later became Chancellor of Lincoln University from 2000 to 2005. From the late 1990s until about 2011, she worked for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). From 2000 to 2007, she was president of the chairs of UNESCO national commissions worldwide. She also has an interest in astronomy, leading the project for the Aoraki-Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.

Honours and awards

Austin was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, and in 1993, she was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.

In the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours, Austin was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for public services. In the 2008 New Year Honours, she was elevated to Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the community.

Austin has been elected as a Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Further reading

• A Guide to quality education: handbook for quality, access and participation in New Zealand education prepared by the Labour Opposition, Wellington, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Labour Party, 1992

• Ministerial brief: Margaret Austin, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Department of Internal Affairs, 1990

• NZPPTA Principals' Council Conference 1993, Auckland: education for an effective society, Sheraton Hotel, Auckland, July 11–14 [NZPPTA Principals' Council Conference (1993: Auckland, N.Z.)], Wellington, [N.Z.]: The Association, 1993

• Austin's contribution is: "Speech notes."

• Positioning Polytechnics for the 90s: Association of Polytechnics in New Zealand Annual Conference, October 1991, hosted by Carrington Polytechnic at the Sheraton Hotel, Auckland : edited proceedings [Association of Polytechnics in New Zealand. Annual Conference (1991 : Auckland, N.Z.)], Auckland, [N.Z.]: Carrington Polytechnic, 1991

• Austin's contribution is noted under the title: "Opposition Spokesperson on Education."

• Strategies to achieve excellence: expanding the potential of young Maori through education: 7 September 1993, the James Cook Centra, Wellington [prepared by Institute for International Research], Auckland, [N.Z.]: The Institute, 1993

• Austin's contribution is a paper entitled: "[T]he agenda for change and it's [sic] effects on education."

• Austin, Margaret E. (chair); et al. (1997), Achieving excellence: a review of the education external evaluation services: self management, self-review, self improvement, whaia te iti kahurangi (strive for the ultimate), Wellington, [N.Z.]: State Services Commission, ISBN 0-478-08931-7

• Ogonowska-Coates, Halina, ed. (1995), Invincible women : a collection of herstories / commissioned by the Christchurch College of Education Te Whare Whai Matauraka ki Otautahi, Christchurch, [N.Z.]: The College, ISBN 0-908858-01-9

• This book contains a profile of Austin, with eleven other women.

• Scott, Noel; Austin, Margaret E.; Mallard, Trevor (1985), Interim report of Government Committee on Transition Education to Hon. Russell Marshall, Minister of Education, Hon. Kerry Burke, Minister of Employment, Wellington, [N.Z.]: The Committee

References

• Who's Who in the New Zealand Parliament 1987. Wellington: Parliamentary Service. 1987.
• Temple, Philip (1994). Temple's Guide to the 44th New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: McIndoe Publishers. p. 53. ISBN 0-86868-159-8.