David Carter elected New Zealand's parliament speaker

CAPTION: New Zealand National Party MP David Carter (L) shakes hands with New Zealand Governor General Jerry Mateparae after being sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives in Wellington, New Zealand, Jan. 31, 2013. Carter was elected on a vote of 62 to 52 in a contest with Trevor Mallard, a Labor Party MP, to replaces National MP Lockwood Smith. 

New Zealand National Party’s David Carter was elected speaker of the House of Representatives on Thursday despite a challenge by the Labor Party to nominate one of its Members of Parliament (MPs).

Carter was elected on a vote of 62 to 52 in a contest with Trevor Mallard, a Labor Party MP, to replaces National MP Lockwood Smith.

Carter, a former cabinet minister, was first elected to Parliament in 1994 as MP for Selwyn. Since 1999 he has been a list MP based in Canterbury. He has held a number of ministerial portfolios since 1998 and, following the 2008 general election was appointed minister of agriculture, minister for biosecurity and minister of Forestry.

He was appointed minister for primary industries following the 2011 general election, and minister of local government in early 2012.

Meanwhile, Lockwood Smith is expected to take up the high commissioner’s role in March.

His departure will mean the next person on National’s list will enter Parliament. He is Aaron Gilmore, who narrowly missed out on getting into Parliament at the 2011 election.

Earlier on Thursday, the government’s three new ministers – Nick Smith, Nikki Kaye and Michael Woodhouse – were sworn in.

Source: Xinhua

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