Profile: Gerry Brownlee
Background:
Gerry Brownlee’s family heritage is deeply entrenched in Christchurch and his family trace their roots as far back as 1932.
Gerry comes from a long line of timber merchants and after leaving the prestigious St Bede’s College – where he failed University Entrance – he entered into the family business.
Much has been made in Parliament of Gerry’s education failures, with the Opposition suggesting he doesn’t have the smarts for the job.
But post-school, Gerry gained a teaching qualification, trained as a carpenter and eventually returned to his former school to teach design technology and technical drawing.
Gerry was remembered a tough but likeable teacher. His hard-boiled leadership style would later translate into politics.
Career in politics:
Gerry first officially entered the world of politics in 1993 when he stood for National in the Sydenham electorate. But it wasn’t the start he hoped for, losing to Alliance’s Jim Anderton.
Three years later he tried for the Ilam seat, this time winning by a comfortable margin and has been the incumbent their ever since.
Gerry made headlines in 1999 when he manhandled a protestor who broke into a private National meeting. Charges were brought against the MP and he was made to pay $8,500 in damages.
Four years later Gerry made a political assault on the National leadership, challenging deputy leader Nick Smith’s position while he was away on stress leave. Gerry won the challenge and ousted Mr Smith as deputy leader.
After National won the 2008 election he gained several Ministerial portfolios, including Economic Development, and Energy and Resources.
The most important role of his political career would come last year after the September earthquake in Christchurch, when Mr Key made Gerry the Earthquake Recovery Minister.
Notable actions:
Helping to setup CERA
Becoming Earthquake Minister
Botching Conservation mining plan
Introducing the Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Bill
What you might not know:
After graduating from high school, Gerry and his schoolmate, Richard Holden, formed a singing-comedy act called the Minetti Brothers.
The band, as detailed in a Listener feature, did the rounds of Canterbury pubs and made a point of targeting audience hecklers.
Gerry’s brief musical bout was once even raised in Parliament, during the second reading of the Copyright Amendment Bill in 2007.
Clayton Cosgrove suggested the copyright bill should be flexible so that Gerry could copy his band’s music onto an iPod.
“We do not want iron-clad laws, because Mr Brownlee — who, I am told, as a band member of the Minetti Brothers might have put out a CD — may want to copy that DVD on to his iPod. I am sure he has.”
Famous quote:
“My absolutely strong position is that the old dungas, no matter what their connection, are going under the hammer,” said Gerry of historic buildings in Christchurch after the February quake.
Gaffes and blunders:
In a Radio New Zealand interview this year Gerry suggested that East Christchurch residents forced to leave due to the quake were deserters. He quickly corrected himself after realising his error.
In a sentence:
Gerry Brownlee is the Christchurch Old Boy who’s big and blunt, and not afraid to pack a punch (see manhandle), but ultimately his role as Earthquake Minister will make or break his career in New Zealand politics.