Nicky Wagner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Nicky Wagner
Wagner in 2012
Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives
In office 23 September 2017 – 17 October 2020
Constituency	National Party List
In office 26 November 2011 – 23 September 2017
Preceded by	Brendon Burns
Succeeded by	Duncan Webb
Constituency	Christchurch Central
In office 17 September 2005 – 26 November 2011
Constituency	National Party List
Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration
In office 2 May 2017 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	Bill English
Preceded by	Gerry Brownlee
Succeeded by	Megan Woods
Personal details
Born	(1953-07-23) 23 July 1953 (age 72) Christchurch, New Zealand
Political party	National
Spouse	David
Children	Two sons
Occupation	Business
Profession	Teacher
Website	Nicky Wagner

Nicola "Nicky" Joanne Wagner (born 23 July 1953) is a former politician from New Zealand. Before entering politics, she worked as a teacher and started her own businesses. She was a member of the National Party and served in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2005 until she retired in 2020.

For part of her career, Wagner represented the Christchurch Central area. She also held important government jobs, called ministerial roles. These included being the Minister of Customs and the Minister for Disability Issues.

Early Life and Career

Nicky Wagner was born in Christchurch. Her mother was a teacher and her father was an engineer. She grew up in the suburb of Cashmere and went to St Margaret's College.

She studied to become a teacher and earned degrees from several universities, including a Master's in Business Administration (MBA). After teaching for a while, she started a fashion marketing company. She also created websites for New Zealand's fashion and gardening industries.

Wagner has two sons.

Political Career

Wagner's career in politics included running for office, working in local government, and serving as a Member of Parliament.

First Campaign

In 2002, Wagner ran for a seat in Parliament for the Christchurch Central area. She was a candidate for the National Party. She did not win the election that year.

Local Government Work

In 2003, Wagner was elected to be a councillor for Environment Canterbury (ECan), which is the regional council for the Canterbury area. She represented the Christchurch West area. When she was elected to Parliament in 2005, some people wondered if she could do both jobs. She decided to leave her role at ECan in 2007 to focus on being a Member of Parliament.

Member of Parliament

In the 2005 election, Wagner was elected to Parliament. She became a list MP. This means she was elected from a party's list of candidates, not by winning a specific area.

In her first speech to Parliament, she talked about the importance of building a strong future for New Zealand. During her first term, she was part of a group of politicians called a select committee, which looked at laws related to justice and elections.

Key Votes and Roles

Wagner's voting record on social issues was mostly conservative. In 2005, she voted for a bill that would have defined marriage as only being between a man and a woman. However, in 2013, she voted in favour of a different bill that legalised same-sex marriage in New Zealand.

In the 2011 election, the race for Christchurch Central was very close. After all the votes were counted, Wagner won by just 47 votes. This was the first time the National Party had won this electorate.

In 2014, she became a minister in the government. Her roles included Minister of Customs and Associate Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery.

2014 Election and Onward

Wagner won the Christchurch Central seat again in the 2014 election. After the election, she was named Minister for Disability Issues.

In 2017, Wagner made a comment on Twitter about being in disability meetings when she would "rather be out on the harbour." This caused some controversy online.

She lost her Christchurch Central seat in the 2017 election but remained in Parliament as a list MP. She decided not to run for re-election in 2020 and retired from politics.

Life After Politics

In 2024, Wagner was appointed to the Nelson Marlborough conservation board, where she helps protect natural and historic sites in that region.