Judy Turner

Judith Anne Turner (born 2 August 1956) is a New Zealand politician who was the deputy leader of United Future New Zealand. She was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives as a list MP from 2002 to 2008, and the mayor of Whakatāne from 2019 to 2022.

Member of Parliament

Turner was first elected as a United Future list MP at the 2002 election.

In December 2004 United Future party members chose her as their deputy leader. In September 2005, Turner and Gordon Copeland became the only two United Future List MPs re-elected alongside Peter Dunne (who won an electorate seat). Although Copeland left the party in 2007, Turner indicated that she would remain within the United Future caucus.

In the 2008 election, Turner stood as a United Future candidate for the East Coast electorate. However, she failed to win the electorate, and United Future did not poll sufficiently well for a second list MP during the 2008 New Zealand general election. As a consequence, Turner did not return to Parliament.

In June 2009, Turner stood as an electorate candidate for United Future in Auckland's Mount Albert, polling eighth at 89 votes. She was outpolled by the Bill and Ben Party co-leader Ben Boyce (158 votes), as well as the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party's Dakta Green (92 votes) and The Kiwi Party's Simmone Dyer (91 votes).

Former parliamentary roles Member, Business Committee Member, Finance and Expenditure Committee Member, Social Services Committee

UFNZ caucus roles Deputy Leader Member, Health select committee 27 August 2002 – 11 August 2005 Spokesperson, Drugs 2002–2005 Spokesperson, Family and Children 2002–2005 Spokesperson, Senior Citizens 2002–2005 Spokesperson, Social Services 2002–2005 Spokesperson, Women's Affairs 2002–2005 Spokesperson, Health 2005–2008 Spokesperson, Education and Research 2005–2008 Spokesperson, Family and Social Services 2005–2008 Spokesperson, Māori and Treaty Issues 2005–2008

Local political career Turner was elected to Whakatāne District Council in the 2010 local elections and served three terms (i.e. until 2019) as deputy mayor. In the 2019 local elections, she won the mayoral election after the incumbent retired.

Personal details Born 2 August 1956, Turner is married with three adult children. Before entering politics, she worked simultaneously as an art teacher and as a pastoral and community worker at a local New Life Church.