Chris Auchinvole
Christopher John Auchinvole is a Scottish-born New Zealand former politician. He represented the National Party in the New Zealand [House of Representatives|House of Representatives] from 2005 to 2014.
Early years
Auchinvole was born in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland, on 7 March 1945, and attended the Royal [Military Academy Sandhurst|Royal Military Academy] at Sandhurst in England. He later moved to New Zealand and became a naturalised New Zealander in 1980. In New Zealand he has been involved with the export industry, and operated a company based on the West Coast. He has also been involved in the Uniting Church, becoming a lay preacher.Member of Parliament
In the 2005 election, Auchinvole stood as the National Party's candidate for the West Coast-Tasman electorate. Despite reducing the incumbent's majority by 5,568 votes, he was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, he entered Parliament as a list MP, having been ranked 34th. In the 2008 election, Auchinvole won the electorate with a small majority beating Labour's Damien O'Connor who had represented the West Coast since. Damien O'Connor regained the electorate in 2011 despite a record defeat for the Labour Party.Auchinvole is a wedding celebrant, and officiated at the wedding in Parliament of fellow MP Tau Henare on 7 March 2012. He was a strong supporter of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill which sought to legalise same-sex marriage in New Zealand. His speech in support of the bill during its second reading was well received.