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James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton (born 21 January 1938), is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest continuously serving member of the House. In May 2010, Anderton announced his candidacy for the mayoralty of Christchurch. He is going to retire from Parliament at the 2011 general election.
Entering politics
His political career began when he was elected to the Manukau City Council in 1965, and again in 1974. He subsequently joined the Auckland Regional Authority in 1977. At the same time, he worked his way up the internal hierarchy of the Labour Party, which he had joined ...
Jim Anderton is retiring at the election, but he's just posted the policy he hopes will be his legacy:a plan for free, universal dental care in New Zealand. Currently, 44% of us never see a dentist, and there are significant access problems for pensioners and the poor. Meanwhile, increased rates of obesity and diabetes - both of which are linked to dental decay - mean that these problems are likely to increase.
Anderton estimates the total cost of free universal dental care at between $670 million and $1 billion per year. He proposes several options for financing it: a levy on soft-drinks ...
Christchurch mayoral contender Jim Anderton has a handy lead in the two-man race with sitting mayor Bob Parker, but nearly two-thirds of voters are undecided, a poll commissioned by The Press shows. In a survey conducted by Opinions Market Research last weekend, 78 per cent said they planned to vote, but 57 per cent of those had not picked their preferred mayor. Of those who had made a choice, Anderton got 50 per cent support compared with 31 per cent for sitting mayor Bob Parker. Another 18 per cent did not disclose their choice. None of the other 12 mayoral candidates figured among those who ...
AS A father who lost a daughter to suicide, former associate health minister Jim Anderton is convinced that no good will come of relaxing the rules surrounding the media's reporting of suicide. The Christchurch MP had to get a court injunction to stop media outlets reporting his daughter's mental health problems in the fragile months leading up to her death in 1994. That experience has left him convinced the media can't always be trusted to show restraint and compassion when it comes to reporting the circumstances surrounding suicide. Anderton is quite happy – and indeed keen – for ...
