The Honourable Jonathan Coleman MP |
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39th Minister of Health | |
Assumed office 8 October 2014 |
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Prime Minister |
John Key Bill English |
Preceded by | Tony Ryall |
Minister for Sport and Recreation | |
Assumed office 8 October 2014 |
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Prime Minister |
John Key Bill English |
Preceded by | Murray McCully |
37th Minister of Defence | |
In office 14 December 2011 – 8 October 2014 |
|
Prime Minister | John Key |
Preceded by | Wayne Mapp |
Succeeded by | Gerry Brownlee |
Minister of State Services | |
In office 14 December 2011 – 8 October 2014 |
|
Prime Minister | John Key |
Preceded by | Tony Ryall |
Succeeded by | Paula Bennett |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Northcote |
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Assumed office 17 September 2005 |
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Preceded by | Ann Hartley |
Personal details | |
Born | 23 September 1966 |
Political party | National Party |
Alma mater |
University of Auckland University of London |
Jonathan David Coleman (born 23 September 1966) is a New Zealand politician.
After attending Auckland Grammar School where he was Head Prefect in 1984, Coleman trained as a doctor, graduating from University of Auckland's medical school. He worked as a doctor in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia (in the latter case, for the Royal Flying Doctor Service). He later obtained an MBA from London Business School in 2000, and returned to New Zealand the following year.
He worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers as consultant on health sector issues and as a part-time general practitioner in Otara. He entered the selection for the National Party candidacy for Tamaki but was defeated by Allan Peachey before successfully contesting the candidacy for Northcote.
He has a 170-year family connection to his Northcote electorate and “a bit of tangata whenua thrown in” to his bloodline.
In the 2005 election, Coleman stood as the National Party's candidate for the Northcote seat. He was also ranked 35th on the party's list. Coleman was successful, defeating Ann Hartley of the Labour Party. This was the only Auckland seat to change hands between Labour and National in the 2005 election.
In 2006, Coleman (then the National Party's associate health spokesman) caused controversy when he accepted British American Tobacco's - an active lobbier on health sector issues - offer of sitting in their corporate box during a U2 concert. It was alleged he blew cigar smoke at a woman during the concert. Coleman admitted he made a mistake by sitting in British American Tobacco's corporate box and smoking at a U2 concert.