Jack Arnold Elder (born 3 July 1949) is a New Zealand former politician. He was an MP from 1984 to 1999, representing the Labour Party, New Zealand First and Mauri Pacific.
Early life
Jack Elder was born and raised in West Auckland, attending New Lynn Primary, Avondale Intermediate and Kelston Boys High School. At the latter, he was head boy and captain of the rugby first fifteen. Elder studied politics and history at the University of Auckland, graduating with a B.A in both History and Political Studies as well as a M.A in Political Studies. Upon graduation, he became a teacher at schools such as Henderson High School from 1974 to 1977 and Rutherford College from 1979 to 1981.
Early political career
Alongside future prime minister Helen Clark and future Minister of Foreign Affairs Phil Goff, Elder was a member of Princes Street Labour. He became active in local politics, being a member of the New Lynn Borough Council from 1976 to 1983, including as deputy mayor from 1980.
Elder twice unsuccessfully sought the Labour Party nomination in safe electorates for the party. In 1975, he unsuccessfully sought the Labour Party candidacy for the electorate alongside 26 other aspirants following the retirement of Hugh Watt, but lost to Frank Rogers. In 1980, he put his name forward to replace long serving MP Warren Freer in the safe Labour seat of Mount Albert, but missed out on the nomination to Helen Clark. He did receive the nomination to stand in Helensville in the 1978 election and the 1981 election, but lost on both occasions.
Member of Parliament
Labour Party
Elder was first elected to Parliament in the 1984 election as the Labour MP for . He was re-elected in the 1987 election, the 1990 election, and in the 1993 election. Although Labour formed a government for the first of Elder's two terms as an MP, he was not promoted to Cabinet.
In 1990, Elder was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. After the 1990 election, which Labour lost, he was appointed Shadow Minister of Agriculture by Mike Moore. In January 1993 he also picked up the Overseas Trade portfolio in a minor reshuffle.
Defection from Labour Party to New Zealand First
Within the Labour Party, Elder was a staunch supporter of Moore, and belonged to the more economically liberal wing of the party. When Helen Clark replaced Moore as party leader he was dropped from the Agriculture portfolio, but continued as Shadow Minister of Overseas Trade. Elder remained aligned with Moore and consequently he was ranked 40th on Labour's initial party list for the 1996 general election, the lowest of any sitting Labour MP. In response he questioned his ties with Labour and position in parliament, not ruling out resigning and forcing a by-election.