Shane Ardern
Philip Shane Ardern is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party and represented the electorate of Taranaki-King Country from 1998 to 2014.
Early years
Ardern is the son of Noel and Olive Ardern. He was born and raised in Ōpunake, and attended Opunake High School. Before entering politics, he was a dairy farmer, and many of his political activities have been on behalf of the farming community. He is a distant cousin of former New Zealand Prime Minister and Labour MP Jacinda Ardern.Member of Parliament
Ardern first became a member of parliament due to the Taranaki-King Country by-election of 1998, which resulted from the retirement from politics of former Prime Minister Jim Bolger. He held that seat from 1998 to 2014.Ardern became one of the driving forces behind the legislation that enabled the setting up of the dairy company Fonterra in 2001. He came to nationwide attention in late 2003 when he drove a tractor up the front steps of Parliament House as part of a protest against a proposed agricultural emissions research levy, nicknamed the "flatulence" or "fart tax". The police investigated him for dangerous conduct and charged him with disorderly conduct. At a pre-trial hearing the judge said the case was a waste of court and police resources, and next month the police withdrew the charge. From 2008 until his retirement from parliament in 2014 he served as chairman of the parliamentary Primary Production Select Committee. In late 2013 bloggers and media speculatively named Ardern as one of the National Party MPs likely to retire due to a perceived need for rejuvenation of the National Party parliamentary caucus.