CHANGING DEMOCRACY

  BC and the politics of Middle Earth   

Prime Minister Helen Clark

Helen Clark has spent many years studying and participating in New Zealand politics. She has a political science degree from Auckland University and lectured there before becoming a Member of Parliament.

In 1978, she joined the Labour Party.
In 1981, she, was first elected and served as minister in a number of portfolios before becoming leader of the party in 1993. Clark ran for Prime Minister in the first MMP election and lost. In 1999, she formed a government  by signing a coalition agreement with other smaller parties. In 2002, Clark and her party were re-elected and govern with a minority coalition government. Originally Clark opposed MMP, but pundits say she makes it work through a strategy of gaining majority support of different parties, depending on the nature of individual bills.

Helen Clark was interviewed in Christchurch on November 8, 2003.

Were you wrong in opposing MMP before it was implemented?

Helen Clark 1

Did it turn out as you expected?

Helen Clark 2

Do you have any advice for British Columbia?

Helen Clark 3

Part of Helen Clark's speech to the 2003 Labour Party Convention.

Clark at Convention