Nathan Guy MP

Nathan Guy is the MP for Otaki and was honoured to be a Minister in the National Government from 2009 to 2017.

The opportunity to work hard and achieve positive results for New Zealand's productive sectors was Nathan's major focus, as the passionate Minister for Primary Industries for five years.

Some highlights include;

• Gaining access for chilled meat into China and regaining access for meat exports to Iran
• Modernising the Animal Welfare Act so practices better meet consumer expectations, such as bobby calf management
• Introduced a Border Clearance levy making passengers fund more border services
• Highest ever Biosecurity investment resulting in more people, dogs and technology on the front line with strong industry engagement
• Supporting rural communities through adverse events like the dairy downturn, prolonged North Canterbury drought, earthquakes and floods. Nathan was a strong voice for water storage projects and helped fund Central Plains stages 1 & 2.
• Leading the Government's response to a blackmail threat to infant formula, ending in a successful prosecution
• Introduced cameras and other digital tools to deliver greater transparency in the commercial fishing sector

Nathan also held other Ministerial positions during his nine years in office, including Minister of Civil Defence, Internal Affairs, Immigration, Veteran Affairs and Racing as well as the Associate Minister for Economic Development, of Justice, and Transport.

Nathan entered Parliament as a list MP in 2005 and was Junior then Senior Whip prior to becoming a Minister under Sir John Key.

Nathan won the Otaki Electorate seat in 2008 and won the seat for the fourth time in the 2017 general election with a comfortable 6,156 vote majority. He is a strong advocate for Horowhenua and Kapiti and is most proud of his role in the Kapiti Expressway development, which is transforming the region.

Nathan had an extensive political career before entering Parliament, previously serving eight years on the Horowhenua District Council. He also has a background in agriculture, having managed the family dairy and beef farm and receiving a Winston Churchill Fellowship to study beef exports to the United States.
He enjoys spending time with his wife Erica and three children, and likes to keep fit.

He has completed several marathons with the highlight being the 2015 New York Marathon, where he ran the 42km in 3 hours and 56 minutes. In 2017 he completed the challenging Tararua Southern Crossing (from Kaitoke to Otaki Forks) in nine-and-a-half hours.

Otaki Electorate

The two districts that make up the Otaki Electorate are quite distinct. The northern district of Horowhenua contains rich farmland centred on the township of Levin, and encompasses the Foxton and Waitarere communities. The southern Kapiti Coast district includes Paraparaumu, Waikanae together with the electorate's heart, bustling shoppers destination, Otaki.

The history of the Otaki region is a rich combination of Maori culture, early colonial settlements and the ongoing development of an extensive farming sector. It is within commuting distance of the Capital, Wellington and Palmerston North. The Electorate is known for abundant agricultural and horticultural development, a growing manufacturing sector and a comparatively high population of over 65s.

Funded by Parliamentary Service