Grant Gillon

Grant Gillon is a New Zealand politician. He was a member of parliament between 1996 and 2002, representing the Alliance Party, has held a number of seats in local government. He is currently on the board of Auckland's Devonport-Takapuna and Kaipātiki Local Boards.^[1]

He is a senior lecturer in paramedicine and emergency management at the Auckland University of Technology.^[2]

Early life and education

Gillon has a master's degree in Public Policy and a PhD in Public Policy.

Political career

Gillon's political career began when he joined the Democratic Party. In 1991, the Democratic party joined the Alliance as one of the four founding parties. In the 1993 election, Gillon stood in the Glenfield electorate and came third.^[3]

Gillon was elected to Parliament as an Alliance list MP in the 1996 election, having been ranked in eleventh place on the party list.^[4][5] He was re-elected to Parliament in the 1999 election. While an MP, Gillon was a Government Whip, Deputy Chair of the Government Administration Select Committee, members of the MMP Review Committee, a member of the Privileges, Officers of Parliament, Standing Orders, Members' Services, Business, Parliamentary Services, Legislative, Cabinet and other parliamentary committees.

In 2001, Gillon became leader of the Democratic Party, replacing John Wright.^[6]

When the Alliance collapsed in 2002, Gillon and the Democratic Party joined Jim Anderton's breakaway party, the Progressive Coalition. In the 2002 election, Gillon was ranked third on the Progressive Coalition list, behind Jim Anderton and Matt Robson.^[7] Gillon left the Democratic Party and moved to the Progressive Coalition.^[8] Gillon became President of the Progressive Coalition until he stood down in 2007.

He has served as the North Shore City Councillor (representing the Harbour Ward and Chair of the Strategy and Finance Committee) and Birkenhead/Northcote Community Board member, elected to both the City Council and Community Board.

Gillon is a past Chief Executive Officer for the ISEA union for teachers and past member of the Board of Directors of the state-owned enterprise AsureQuality.

Gillon has also worked as a dairy farmer, senior fire officer, and an entrepreneur in light manufacturing, printing, educational resource and publishing.

During the 2016 Auckland elections, Gillon ran for the North Shore ward of the Auckland Council and missed out on a seat by 128 votes.^[9] He was re-elected to the Takapuna-Devonport local board.

Publishing

Gillon's published works include:

• United to Protect: An Historical Account of the Auckland Fire Brigade, 1848-1985
• Where There's Smoke, an expose of insurance evasion in relation to The Fire Service

He has also contributed chapters to other works, including:

• New Zealand Government and Politics, chapters with Ray Miller on the role of an MP
• The Baubles of Office: The New Zealand General Election of 2005, a chapter on The Progressives

Personal

Gillon and his family have been long term residents of the North Shore. Gillon also performs community work and is a member of the Birkenhead Licensing Trust,^[10] Northart, Birkenhead-Northcote Glenfield Community Trust and other community organisations.

His daughter, Paula, is also active in Auckland local body politics; having been elected in 2001 to the North Shore City Council two weeks after reaching the required age of eighteen.

References