Phil Goff

Full name: Philip (Phil) Bruce Goff

Born: June 1953, Auckland, New Zealand

Electorate: Mt Roskill

Majority: 9,895

Education

First Class Honours in Political Studies (1979)
Awarded the Butterworth Prize for Law and was senior scholar in Political Studies in 1973 at University of Auckland
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Scholarship to Nuffield College, University of Oxford in 1992
Three Kings Primary, Papatoetoe High, University of Auckland

Professional career

During his university years Phil Goff worked seasonally as a freezing worker between 1968 and 1974. Following graduation from the University of Auckland he lectured in political studies at the same institution between 1975 and 1978. Prior to entering the Parliament he also was an organiser of the Insurance Workers Union in 1980-1981.

He has been a member of the Labour Party since 1969 and has held branch, electorate and national positions including chair of the Labour Youth Council (1975-1977) and youth representative on the New Zealand Council (1977-1978).

Phil Goff entered Parliament when he won the seat of Mt Roskill in 1981. This was the beginning of a nine-year stint in Parliament. With Labour's election victory in 1984, he gained several Ministerial portfolios over the next two terms. Between 1984 and 1990 his portfolios included Housing, Environment, Employment, Tourism, Youth Affairs and Education.

Following defeat at the 1990 election, Phil Goff lectured in political studies at the Auckland Institute of Technology, worked in North Asia to market New Zealand education and studied at Oxford University.

He was soon back in Parliament, winning Mt Roskill in 1993. Boundary changes saw the seat re-named New Lynn for the 1996 election in which he was returned to Parliament. Between 1993 and 1999 Phil Goff was Labour's spokesperson on Justice and Corrections.

Labour's election victory in 1999 (in which he was back representing Mt Roskill again) saw Phil Goff made the Minister of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

He continued to hold those portfolios, and also gained Pacific Island Affairs, after being returned with an increased majority at the 2002 election.

Following the 2005 election when he was once again returned as the Member for Mt Roskill with a massive majority, Phil Goff took on a series of new responsibilities. His expertise in international affairs sees him hold the portfolios of Minister of Defence, Minister of Trade and Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control. He is also Minister of Corrections and an Associate Minister of Finance. Phil is ranked 4th in the cabinet.

Personal

Phil Goff is married to Mary Ellen Goff and has three children – Kristopher (1982), Sara (1984) and Kieran (1986).

His interests include farming, gardening and sports. He is patron of the Avondale RSA and various local sports clubs.