Rodney Hide

Former Leader of the ACT Party and MP for Epsom

Rodney Hide became leader of the political party ACT New Zealand in 2004

From 2005, he  represented the electorate of Epsom as its Member of Parliament.  He was the Minister of Local Government, Associate Minister of Commerce and Minister of Regulatory Reform. The latter was a new portfolio mainly aimed at controlling government regulation (Red Tape), which was one of Rodney Hide's core policies in his election campaign.

Rodney first entered Parliament in 1996 as a list MP. He won the party parliamentary leadership role in a closely-contested primary after the retirement of Richard Prebble in 2004. He then went on to win the Epsom electorate from sitting National Party MP Richard Worth in 2005 with the campaign message "ACT is back".

Hide has a reputation for strong views, for his media profile, and for his confrontational style. Some commentators dubbed him the "leader of the opposition" when he still sat on the back benches. His supporters often describe him as one of the most effective opposition MPs, and praise him for his motivation and commitment.

Rodney has degrees in Botany, Zoology and Resource Management and a Masters in Economics. He has taught both Resource Management and Economics at Lincoln University. Rodney was a contestant in the 2006 series of Dancing with the Stars.