Bob Clarkson

Bob Clarkson, born in Gisborne, is the member for Tauranga in the New Zealand Parliament. He is a member of the New Zealand National Party and is currently married to his second wife of 18 years, Martha Clarkson with two daughters and three grandchildren.

Business Achievements

Bob started his career in Gisborne after qualifying as a fitter and turner in 1958. He then moved to the Waikato and as an engineer helped carve out the Kaimai Tunnel. He began selling and servicing tractors in Matamata before deciding to import V8 motors from the United States – a business he continued for nine years. Bob found his real niche in constructing commercial buildings and once in Tauranga, the developments on Maleme St, MacDonald St, Aviation Drive, and the Mitre 10 Mega store in Cameron Rd are a testament to his foresight and drive.

Sporting Achievements

Bob Clarkson has achieved success in several facets of New Zealand sport. He has played field hockey for the Poverty Bay provincial team and was selected as a standby goalie for the New Zealand team that won Gold at the 1976 Olympic Games. Bob was also a member of the New Zealand Stock Car Racing Team from 1968 – 1971. He held seven New Zealand titles in Dragster racing during 1972–1975.

2005 Election

In the 2005 election, Clarkson was recruited as the New Zealand National Party candidate for the Tauranga seat. He was challenging Winston Peters, leader of the New Zealand First party, who had held the seat for twenty-one years. The contest was considered to be of national significance, as under New Zealand's electoral system, a party must have either 5% of the vote or an electorate seat to qualify for proportional representation. A loss by Peters would have deprived New Zealand First of its electorate seat, leaving it vulnerable to a decline in its vote.

During the campaign Peters revealed old sexual harassment allegations against Clarkson. Clarkson claimed the allegations were the result of a misunderstanding arising from a mention of his left testicle to a colleague. Bizzarely, he talked about his crotch to a female reporter while discussing the allegations. He won the seat.

Campaign overspending petition

Peters filed a petition in the High Court of New Zealand alleging that Clarkson had spent more on campaigning than is allowed under the New Zealand Electoral Act. The Act prescribes a campaign spending limit of $20,000 per local candidate. Peters' petition alleged that Clarkson had spent more than $100,000. However the High Court stated that Clarkson had only spent $18,159. The court ordered Peters to pay $40,000 in legal costs to Bob Clarkson.

• Bob was awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his services to Philanthropy, Industrial Properties and the Sports Stadium in the New Years honours for 2003.

(NZ Herald)

National Party Information

• Associate Building and Construction
• Associate Housing

External links

• New Zealand National Party Website
• Clarkson talking about his crotch

Year of birth missing | Living people | New Zealand National Party MPs | Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit