Phil Heatley Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Philip Heatley
Order:Minister of Fisheries
Term Start:19 November 2008
Term End:25 February 2010
Primeminister:John Key
Predecessor:Jim Anderton
Successor:none (Ministry merged)
Order2:Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Term Start2:1 April 2010
Term End2:14 December 2011
Primeminister2:John Key
Predecessor2:new Ministry
Successor2:none (Ministry merged)
Order3:14th Minister of Energy and Resources
Term Start3:14 December 2011
Term End3:29 January 2013
Primeminister3:John Key
Predecessor3:Gerry Brownlee
Successor3:Simon Bridges
Order4:Minister of Housing
Term Start4:19 November 2008
Term End4:25 February 2010
Primeminister4:John Key
Predecessor4:Maryan Street
Successor4:Maurice Williamson (acting)
Term Start5:1 April 2010
Term End5:22 January 2013
Predecessor5:Maurice Williamson (acting)
Successor5:Nick Smith
Constituency Mp6:Whangarei
Parliament6:New Zealand
Predecessor6:John Banks
Successor6:Shane Reti
Term Start6:16 December 1999
Term End6:14 August 2014
Birth Date:5 April 1967[1]
Nationality:New Zealand
Occupation:Agricultural engineer

Philip Reeve Heatley (born 5 April 1967) is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party. From 2008 until January 2013, he was a member of cabinet, holding the portfolios of Fisheries, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Energy and Resources, and Housing, before being replaced in a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister John Key. Heatley retired from Parliament in 2014.

Early years

Heatley was born in Whangārei. Before entering politics, Heatley completed a master's degree with Honours in Horticultural Engineering at Massey University.[2] He has undertaken short-term study and work as a volunteer with an international relief agency on a hospital ship. He was an agricultural engineer in the dairy industry, surveying and designing farm buildings, land drainage and irrigation systems. He authored two published environmental engineering manuals.[3] [4] He is currently a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ).

Member of Parliament

From the 1999 election until his retirement at the, he was the MP for the electorate. In Opposition, Heatley was a member of Parliament's Primary Production Committee, Regulations Review Committee and Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and has been National's spokesman on Forestry, Fisheries, Regional Development, Early Childhood Education and Energy.

He became Minister of Housing and Minister of Fisheries in the Fifth National Government in 2008 and remained Minister of Housing and became Minister of Energy and Resources in 2011, the beginning of the Government's second term.

In 2009 he introduced the Unit Titles Bill, modernising the 1972 legislation that regulates the way apartment blocks and multi-unit developments are managed.[5] The Act came into force in April 2010. He also introduced the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill to update existing rental laws and extend them to cover tenants in boarding houses not previously having protection.[6] The legislation was passed in 2010.

Following 'errors' found in his expense reports, he resigned all portfolio positions in February 2010.[7] He was reinstated to his ministerial portfolios the following month after a report which cleared him of any deliberate wrongdoing.[8]

In 2011 he imposed change to the way Housing New Zealand delivered state housing including introducing a 'reviewable tenancy' that put an end to a 70-year 'state house for life' principle.[9] A one-year suspension period to prevent anti-social tenants from reapplying for a state house, measures to prevent fraud and a commitment to insulate every state house and resource third sector providers of social housing also came into force.[10] [11]

Heatley's fisheries portfolio role was renamed from April 2010. As Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, in 2010 Heatley introduced the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 3) to streamline consenting, help manage competing demand for coastal space, and to deliver on the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Settlement to iwi.[12] [13] The legislation was passed in 2011. Together with then Labour Minister, Kate Wilkinson, he initiated a Ministerial Inquiry into the operation of Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs) in New Zealand's EEZ.[14] This followed allegations of the failure of some FCVs to provide for proper crew working conditions and vessel safety standards. Heatley, as Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, was succeeded by David Carter as Minister of Primary Industries following the 2011 post-election cabinet reshuffle. The inquiry was concluded in 2012 and the Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Bill was tabled later that year.

In December 2011 Heatley became Minister of Energy and Resources. In 2012 he introduced the Crown Minerals (Permitting and Crown Land) Bill amending the Crown Minerals Act 1991 to 'promote', not simply manage, exploration and production of oil, gas and mineral resources.[15] [16] The legislation created a two-tiered permit system for the more complex, higher-return petroleum and mineral activities and the lower-return small business and hobby mineral operations. Amendments were also included in response to the report of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine disaster. The legislation was passed in 2013. In February 2012, he introduced a new 'block offer' process for awarding oil and gas exploration permit areas across New Zealand, including in its EEZ. Blocks on offer are confirmed following consultation with iwi and local authorities and a competitive tender is undertaken to finally allocate permits. This replaced a 'priority in time' process.[17] [18]

In 22 January 2013 Cabinet reshuffle, Heatley lost his ministerial portfolio Energy and Resources to Simon Bridges and Housing to Nick Smith.[19]

Post-ministerial career

On 31 January 2013 Heatley was granted the right to retain the title of The Honourable for life in recognition of his term as a Member of the Executive Council of New Zealand.[20] Hon Phil Heatley was a member of the Parliament's Social Services Committee (2013–2014) and its Local Government and Environment Committee (2013–2014). In early November 2013 he announced he would be retiring from politics at the 2014 general election to "move on to fresh challenges and opportunities in the private sector".[21] In September 2015 he joined the Northland Regional Council.[22]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hon Phil Heatley . . 21 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328103429/http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/mpp/mps/current/50MP30631/heatley-phil . 28 March 2014 . 15 February 2014.
  2. Heatley . Philip . 1990 . Masters thesis . Light transmission, heat retention and mechanical strength property evaluation of film plastic cladding materials available in New Zealand . Massey Research Online, Massey University . 10179/14505.
  3. News: Dairying and the Environment: Managing farm dairy effluent. DEC. 1995. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130913222942/http://www.nrc.govt.nz/Resource-Library-Summary/Publications/Waste/Managing-Farm-Dairy-Effluent/. 13 September 2013.
  4. News: Dairying and the Environment: Farm management issues . DEC . 1998 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130913222355/http://www.nrc.govt.nz/Resource-Library-Summary/Publications/Waste/Farm-Management-Issues/ . 13 September 2013 .
  5. News: Unit titles bill makes management easier . Landlords . 30 June 2009.
  6. News: National plans big rental law shakeup . . 19 February 2009.
  7. News: Phil Heatley's resignation statement . . 25 February 2010.
  8. News: Heatley didn't intend to deceive, says Key . . 31 March 2010 . Claire . Trevett . John . Armstrong . 31 March 2010.
  9. News: State houses move towards a need-based philosophy. East & Bays Courier. 17 December 2010.
  10. News: New unit for social housing. Stuff. 14 June 2011.
  11. News: National 'strong' on state house crime. Stuff. 5 November 2011.
  12. News: Aquaculture gets lift from law change. The New Zealand Herald. 22 August 2011.
  13. News: Aquaculture law heralds expansion. Nelson Mail. 19 August 2011.
  14. News: Fish bait for meals? Inquiry begins. The New Zealand Herald. 23 August 2011.
  15. News: Government plans to make mineral exploration easier. The New Zealand Herald. 16 January 2012.
  16. News: New bill amends Crown Minerals Act. Scoop. 26 September 2012.
  17. News: Govt seeking oil and gas explorers . . 10 February 2012.
  18. News: Block offer 2012 awards ceremony . . 11 December 2012.
  19. News: Nick Smith returns to Cabinet . 22 January 2013 . . 22 January 2013.
  20. "Retention of the Title 'The Honourable'" (31 January 2013) 11 New Zealand Gazette 359 at 379.
  21. Web site: Phil Heatley to retire from politics at next election. National.org. 5 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031352/https://www.national.org.nz/news/news/media-releases/detail/2013/11/01/phil-heatley-to-retire-from-politics-at-next-election. 8 May 2014. dead.
  22. Web site: Ex-MP Phil Heatley in council's property hot seat. https://web.archive.org/web/20180418175344/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503439&objectid=11519993. 18 April 2018. 23 December 2019.