The Honourable
Karen Chhour
MP
Chhour in 2023
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for ACT party list
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Personal details
Born1980 or 1981 (age 42–43)[1]
Australia
Political partyACT
SpouseMenglin Chhour
Children4

Karen Louise Chhour[2] (born 1980 or 1981) is a New Zealand politician. She has been a member of parliament for ACT New Zealand since the 2020 general election.

Early life and career

Chhour is of Māori descent and belongs to the Ngāpuhi iwi.[3] She was born in Australia and moved to New Zealand as a baby, first living with her grandparents in Kaeo before moving back in with her mother on the North Shore at the age of 5.[4][5] She regularly ran away from home and ended up in foster care, which she states as a reason for her interest in addressing homelessness and child poverty. She worked in property management prior to becoming involved in politics.[6][7][8]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–2023 53rd List 7 ACT
2023–present 54th List 6 ACT

First term, 2020–2023

In the 2020 general election, Chhour was placed seventh on the ACT party list and ran for the electorate of Upper Harbour.[6] Chhour came fourth in Upper Harbour.[9] However, ACT won 8% of the party vote, which entitled it to 10 MPs including Chhour.[10][11] In her first term, Chhour was ACT's spokesperson for social development, children, and child poverty reduction.[12]

In early December 2021, Chhour criticised the Labour Government's plans to introduce legislation under its Smokefree 2025 programme that would ban anyone under the age of 14 from legally purchasing tobacco for the rest of their lives. Older generations will only be permitted to buy tobacco products with very low-levels of nicotine while fewer shops will be allowed to sell tobacco products. Chhour argued that prohibition was unworkable and that the new law would create a black market for tobacco products.[13]

On 28 September 2022, Chhour in her capacity as ACT's children spokesperson questioned the Minister of Children Kelvin Davis about the relationship between Oranga Tamariki (the Ministry for Children) and the Māori group Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust, which was being investigated for financing Māori Party candidate John Tamihere's campaign during the 2020 New Zealand general election. In response, Davis had made a statement telling Chhour to "enter the Māori world and stop looking at the world through a "vanilla lens." Chhour, who is Māori, was offended by his remarks, stating that Davis had taken away her mana. In response, ACT Party leader David Seymour described Davis' comments as "nasty" and "totally racist."[14] The following day, Davis contacted Chhour and apologised for his remarks. Chhour accepted his apology. That same week, Chhour had introduced a member's bill that proposed repealing Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which requires Oranga Tamariki's chief executive to recognise and commit to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.[3]

Second term, 2023–present

Chhour stood for re-election at the 2023 general election. She finished fourth in the Upper Harbour electorate but was returned for a second term as a list MP.[15][16]

In late November 2023, Chhour assumed the positions of Minister for Children and Minister for the prevention of Family and Sexual Violence in the Sixth National Government.[17]

On 30 November 2023 Chhour, as Children's Minister, defended the Government's plans to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, which requires Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) to ensure that Māori babies who are uplifted from unsafe homes remain in the care of their wider family (whānau). She argued that focusing on race detracted from the ministry's primary focus of protecting "at-risk" children.[18]

Personal life

Chhour lives on the North Shore. She met her husband Menglin, a Cambodian refugee, in intermediate school. They lost touch when she moved schools, but reconnected when she was 16, working at McDonald's after dropping out of high school. They have four children together.[4][5][6][7][19]

In 2020, Chhour reconnected with her long-lost Australian father and discovered she has two sisters.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Rātana, Liam (4 November 2020). "Meet your new Māori MPs". Re.
  2. ↑ "Event – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz.
  3. 1 2 "Minister Davis apologises over comments to ACT's Karen Chhour". Radio New Zealand. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 Chhour, Karen (9 February 2021). "'I didn't think I'd survive to the age of 10'". Newsroom.
  5. 1 2 3 Witton, Bridie (6 November 2021). "National Portrait: ACT MP Karen Chhour, from state child to Member of Parliament". Stuff.
  6. 1 2 3 Wade, Amelia (5 August 2020). "Election 2020: Party of 6? Meet the Act team who could soon become MPs". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 Doyle, Katie (1 August 2020). "Top five contenders who could join ACT leader David Seymour in Parliament". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "Election 2020: Upper Harbour candidates for local MP". Stuff. 30 September 2020. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "Upper Harbour – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  10. ↑ "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result Successful Candidates". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  12. ↑ "Karen Chhour". ACT New Zealand. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  13. ↑ Bruno, Gus (9 December 2021). "New Zealand's government announces bold new Smokefree 2025 Action Plan to BAN young people smoking across the country". Seven News. Seven Network. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  14. ↑ "Oranga Tamariki minister challenges ACT MP to enter Māori world". Radio New Zealand. 28 September 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Upper Harbour - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "2023 General Election - Successful Candidates". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Cabinet lineup for new government unveiled - who gets what?". Radio New Zealand. 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "New govt set to scrap parts of Oranga Tamariki reform". 1 News. TVNZ. 30 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "ACT Announces List For 2020 General Election". Scoop (Press release). ACT Party. 28 June 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
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