Heather Roy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Heather Roy
Minister of Consumer Affairs
In office 19 November 2008 – 17 August 2010
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Judith Tizard
Succeeded by	John Boscawen
Deputy Leader of ACT Party
In office 2006–2010
Leader	Rodney Hide
Preceded by	Muriel Newman
Succeeded by	John Boscawen
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for ACT Party List
In office 2002–2011
Personal details
Born	(1964-03-05) 5 March 1964 (age 61) Palmerston, Otago
Nationality	New Zealand
Political party	ACT Party
Spouse	Duncan Roy
Children	5
Occupation	Physiotherapist, Member of Parliament, New Zealand Army Reserve

Heather Roy, born on 5 March 1964, is a former politician from New Zealand. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for the ACT New Zealand political party. She served in Parliament from 2002 until 2011.

During her time in politics, Heather Roy was the Deputy Leader of ACT New Zealand. This role meant she was the second-in-command of her party. She also served as the Minister of Consumer Affairs in the government led by John Key. This job involved looking after the rights and safety of people buying goods and services.

Early Life and Family

Heather Roy grew up in a town called Palmerston in Otago. She was the oldest of six children in her family. At her secondary school, she was a deputy head girl and later the head girl.

She studied to become a physiotherapist at Otago Polytechnic. A physiotherapist helps people recover from injuries or illnesses using physical methods. In 1984, she met her husband, Duncan Roy. They have five children together.

Before becoming a politician, Heather worked in different jobs. She was a physiotherapist and helped coordinate medical research. She also managed a private kindergarten and worked for the New Zealand Portrait Gallery. In 2006, she joined the New Zealand Army Reserve. She trained as a field engineer, which involves tasks like building and repairing things.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Heather Roy first tried to enter Parliament in the 1999 election. She was ranked 10th on the ACT New Zealand party list. However, her party only won enough seats for nine MPs, so she wasn't elected that time.

First Term in Parliament

In the 2002 election, Heather Roy ran in the Ohariu-Belmont area. She finished fifth in that local race. But because her party did well, she was elected to Parliament from the party list. This means she got into Parliament based on her party's overall votes, not just her local votes.

In her first speech to Parliament, Heather Roy spoke about her strong belief in "liberal" ideas. These ideas include freedom for businesses, freedom of thought, and personal freedom. During her first term, she spoke for ACT on many topics. These included health, family, and women's issues. She also served on Parliament's health committee.

Second and Third Terms

For the 2005 election, Heather Roy was placed second on the ACT party list. She ran again in Ohariu-Belmont but did not win the local seat. However, she was re-elected to Parliament through the party list.

In this term, ACT only had two MPs in Parliament. So, Heather Roy became the party's Deputy Leader. She also became the party's whip, which means she helped make sure all party members voted together. She also spoke for the party on national security issues.

In the 2008 election, she ran in the Wellington Central area. She finished fourth in that local race. But once again, she was re-elected to Parliament from the ACT party list. This was her third time being elected as an MP.

Working with the Government

In November 2008, the National Party leader, John Key, formed a new government. The ACT New Zealand party supported this government. As part of this agreement, Heather Roy was given important roles.

She became the Minister of Consumer Affairs. This role meant she was in charge of laws and policies that protect consumers. She also became an Associate Minister of Defence and an Associate Minister of Education.

As Associate Minister of Defence, she looked into how the New Zealand Defence Force worked. As Associate Minister of Education, she reviewed special education services. She also supported giving more government money to independent schools. As Minister of Consumer Affairs, she worked on new rules for financial services. She also introduced rules for water efficiency labels on appliances like washing machines and showers.

Changes in Leadership

Between 2008 and 2011, there were some changes within the ACT New Zealand party leadership. In August 2010, Heather Roy was replaced as Deputy Leader by John Boscawen. She also lost her roles as a government minister at this time.

In June 2011, Heather Roy announced that she would leave Parliament. She decided not to run in the 2011 election. In her final year, she helped pass a bill called the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. This bill made it voluntary for students to join student associations.

After Politics

After leaving Parliament in 2011, Heather Roy continued to be active. She became the non-executive board chair of Medicines NZ. This group represents pharmaceutical companies. She left this role in 2018.

For a while after leaving Parliament, she also went back to her role as a field engineer in the army reserve. Heather Roy has also appeared as a political commentator. She has spoken about changing election rules, like lowering the percentage of votes a party needs to get into Parliament.