Thanks for taking the time to visit. For most of the 7 years that I have been an MP, I've replied to the often-asked question of what it is I do with the answer "Mother, Soldier, Member of Parliament". However, that's had to change a bit since the Nov 08 election.

For a start, I'm now a Minister outside Cabinet in the National/ACT/Maori Government with three portfolio responsibilities:

* Minister of Consumer Affairs
* Associate Minister of Defence
* Associate Minister of Education

Because of these appointments, I've reluctantly had to transfer to the Non-Active Reserve of the NZ Army. I continue to hold the roles of ACT Deputy Leader and Party Whip. Both jobs have become busier with 3 additional ACT MPs joining us in Parliament.

This site reflects bits from all my 'jobs'. It's not intended to be a politics-only site, although there is plenty of political comment and information (for those so inclined) on what's happening at Parliament and outside. If you have comments or stories about these or other issues please send them to me. Details of how to find me are in the 'Contacts' section.

Most important in my life, though, is my job of wife to Duncan and mother to my five children. Politics is hard on families, and mine puts up with a lot - we're a busy household!

I've had a lot of fun developing my flickr photo gallery and YouTube channel so don't forget to have a look there - just click on the multimedia links to the left to view them. I've also added some links to other sites I like to visit, I thought you might enjoy them as well.

I hope you enjoy my website. Please come back soon as the material is changed and updated regularly. To help you stay up to date, there's an RSS link at bottom right.

	In the House Comments 0 Legislation this week - 9-11 February, 2010Read More...
	Legislation this Week (9 February - 11 February) Comments 0 Question time will resume on Wednesday 10 February, 2010.Read More...
	The Make-up of our Schools in 2010 Comments 0 The new school year got underway last week with 9,900 new entrants starting their first day of school with brand new backpacks, shiny shoes, and freshly sharpened pencils. I am sure it was a mixture of nerves and excitement for parents and... Read More...
	Visit to Zealandia : The Karori Sanctuary Experience Comments 0 When I received an invitation to visit the Karori Sanctuary today to see the current re-development taking place and have a walk around the bush I jumped at the opportunity. Wellington put on a perfect sunny day today for some bird and... Read More...
	Treaty Of Waitangi documents on display Comments 0 Yesterday I took my teenage boys to view the original Treaty of Waitangi documents at Archives New Zealand (National Archives) in Wellington. They don’t normally open at the weekend, but did yesterday to mark the 170th anniversary of the... Read More...
	Reflections on Peace, Security & Nationhood Comments 0 Every year, in the lead-up to Waitangi Day, political leaders traditionally make their ‘State of the Nation’ speeches before descending on the Bay of Islands for commemoration of the 1840 Treaty. In the last couple of decades, 6 February... Read More...