{{Short description|New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Liz Craig | honorific_suffix = | image = Profile--lizcraig-390x2-UNC.jpg | image_size = | caption = Craig in 2023 | order = Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Health | term_start = 3 May 2022 | term_end = 27 November 2023 | 1blankname = Minister | 1namedata = Andrew Little<br>Ayesha Verrall | prime_minister = Jacinda Ardern<br>Chris Hipkins | constituency_MP3 = Labour party list | term_start3 = 23 September 2017 | term_end3 = 14 October 2023 | parliament3 = New Zealand | predecessor3 = | office4 = | term_start4 = | term_end4 = | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1967}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Labour (2010–present) | relations = | profession = | spouse = David Craig<br>{{marriage|Philip Melgren|2020}} | alma_mater = | children = 2 | website = }} '''Elizabeth Dorothy Craig''' (born 1967) is a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. She served as a Member of Parliament from 2017 to 2023. As a public health physician before entering Parliament, she is known for her research work on child poverty.
==Early life and family== Craig was born in 1967<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.parliament.nz/media/6305/roll-of-members-of-the-new-zealand-house-of-representatives-1854-onwards.pdf |title=Roll of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives, 1854 onwards |date=24 May 2019 |publisher=New Zealand Parliament |access-date=3 September 2020}}</ref> and received her secondary education at Spotswood College in New Plymouth. She left New Plymouth at the age of 18 to attend medical school in Auckland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300103919/election-2020-invercargill-candidates-for-local-mp |title=Election 2020: Invercargill candidates for local MP |date=1 October 2020}}</ref> She was married to David Craig for 27 years, with whom she has two children.<ref name="2014 candidacy" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Dr Liz Craig|url=http://www.labour.org.nz/lizcraig|publisher=Labour Party|access-date=27 September 2017}}</ref> In January 2020 she married Philip Melgren.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fallow |first1=Michael |title=Invercargill list MP Liz Craig marries 'best friend' Philip Melgren |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/southland-top-stories/118911783/invercargill-list-mp-liz-craig-marries-best-friend-philip-melgren |access-date=20 January 2020 |work=Stuff |date=20 January 2020}}</ref>
Prior to the {{NZ election link|2014}}, she lived in Dunedin. For the 2014 election, the family split its time between Dunedin and Romahapa in The Catlins.<ref name="2014 candidacy" /> In 2016, when her selection for the Invercargill electorate was confirmed, she started looking for a house in Invercargill and has lived there since.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Woolf |first1=Amber-Leigh |title=Dr Liz Craig nominated as Labour's candidate for Invercargill |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80207129/dr-liz-craig-nominated-as-labours-candidate-for-invercargill |access-date=27 September 2017 |work=Stuff.co.nz |date=20 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="three new MPs">{{cite news | first=Eileen | last=Goodwin |title=South elects three new MPs |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/election-2017/south-elects-three-new-mps |access-date=27 September 2017 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=24 September 2017}}</ref>
==Public health career== Craig is a public health doctor and child poverty advocate.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Amber-Leigh |last=Woolf |date=20 May 2016 |title=Dr Liz Craig nominated as Labour's candidate for Invercargill |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80207129/dr-liz-craig-nominated-as-labours-candidate-for-invercargill | work=Stuff.co.nz |access-date=18 August 2017}}</ref> In 2009, she won a $50,000 Dunedin School of Medicine's research development investment award, and she established a child and youth health policy research unit with that funding.<ref>{{cite news |title=Medical school awards boost research plans |url= https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/medical-school-awards-boost-research-plans |access-date=27 September 2017 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=7 July 2009}}</ref> She was the director of the New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service of the University of Otago.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Elder |first1=Vaughan |title=Poverty: time 'to wake up' |url= https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/poverty-time-wake |access-date=27 September 2017|work=Otago Daily Times |date=10 December 2012}}</ref> In 2012, she warned that New Zealanders had to get used to poor children suffering from Third World diseases.<ref>{{cite news |title=Child health, wealth, happiness |url= https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/child-health-wealth-happiness |access-date=27 September 2017|work=Otago Daily Times |date=14 December 2012}}</ref> She was part of a group that compiled an annual child poverty monitor, and the group has been credited with making the issue one of the core topics of the {{NZ election link|2017}}.<ref name="Labour picks Craig">{{cite news |last1=Goodwin |first1=Eileen |title=Labour picks Craig for seat |url= https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/labour-picks-craig-seat |access-date=26 September 2017|work=Otago Daily Times|date=21 May 2016}}</ref> Craig resigned as director from the research group, and as editor of the child poverty monitor, prior to the 2014 election.<ref name="2014 candidacy">{{cite news | first=Eileen | last=Goodwin | title=Children in poverty motivation for Labour candidate |url= https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/children-poverty-motivation-labour-candidate |access-date=27 September 2017 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=3 June 2014}}</ref>
==Political career== {{NZ parlbox header|align=left}} {{NZ parlbox |term=52nd |start={{NZ election link year|2017}} |end=2020 |list=31 |party=New Zealand Labour Party |electorate=List }} {{NZ parlbox |term=53rd |start={{NZ election link year|2020}} |end=2023 |list=41 |party=New Zealand Labour Party |electorate=List }} {{End}} Craig stressed that her political views were formed through her work on child poverty, and "not the other way around".<ref name="2014 candidacy" /> She joined the Labour Party in 2010 and was a contributing author of Labour's children's policies for the 2011 and 2014 elections.<ref name="local office">{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/103171899/craigs-local-office-open-for-business |author=Marshall, Andrew |title=Craig's local office open for business |publisher=Stuff.co.nz |date=17 April 2018 |access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref> She stood for Labour in the {{NZ electorate link|Clutha-Southland}} electorate in the {{NZ election link|2014}}, placing second. Ranked 32 on the Labour list, she was not returned on the list either.<ref>{{cite press release |url= http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1406/S00372/labour-list-for-the-2014-election-announced.htm |title=Labour List for the 2014 Election Announced |publisher=New Zealand Labour Party |agency=Scoop |date=23 June 2014 |access-date=28 September 2017}}</ref>
In May 2016, she was selected unopposed to contest the {{NZ electorate link|Invercargill}} electorate at the {{NZ election link|2017}}.<ref name="Labour picks Craig" /> Craig was placed 31 on Labour's party list.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2017 |title=Revised Labour Party List for the 2017 Election |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1708/S00314/revised-labour-party-list-for-the-2017-election.htm |publisher= Scoop.co.nz |access-date=15 August 2017 }}</ref> Craig lost the electorate to incumbent Sarah Dowie, but entered parliament via the Party list.<ref name="2017 election">{{cite web |title=Successful Candidates |url=http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017_preliminary/successful-candidates.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=30 September 2017 |date=23 September 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928010054/http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017_preliminary/successful-candidates.html |archive-date=28 September 2017 }}</ref> In her first term, she was a member of the health, environment and regulations review committees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Craig, Liz – New Zealand Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/craig-liz/ |access-date=4 January 2023 |website=www.parliament.nz |language=en}}</ref>
During the 2020 election, Craig contested the Invercargill electorate but lost to National candidate Penny Simmonds by 224 votes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Invercargill – Official Results |url=https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020/electorate-details-16.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=9 November 2020 }}</ref> Craig had trailed by 685 votes in the preliminary results, causing speculation that she could win the seat when the special votes were counted.<ref>{{cite news |title=Special delivery: what will those extra votes change for Invercargill? |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/opinion/123161005/special-delivery-what-will-those-extra-votes-change-for-invercargill |access-date=22 October 2020 |work=Stuff |date=22 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023111020/https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/opinion/123161005/special-delivery-what-will-those-extra-votes-change-for-invercargill|archive-date=23 October 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Invercargill – Preliminary Count |url=https://electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020_preliminary/electorate-details-16.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=23 October 2020 }}</ref> Despite this defeat, Craig was able to remain in Parliament via the Labour Party list.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result Successful Candidates |url=https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2020/successful-candidates.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=6 November 2020 }}</ref>
Craig was chair of the health select committee from 2020 to 2022 when she was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary for Health.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cooke |first=Henry |title=Labour MP Liz Craig appointed new Parliamentary Private Secretary for Health, new role supporting health ministers |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300579385/labour-mp-liz-craig-appointed-new-parliamentary-private-secretary-for-health-new-role-supporting-health-ministers |work=Stuff |date=3 May 2022 |access-date=2 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702023544/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300579385/labour-mp-liz-craig-appointed-new-parliamentary-private-secretary-for-health-new-role-supporting-health-ministers|archive-date=2 July 2022|url-status=live }}</ref>
During the 2023 New Zealand general election, she contested Invercargill for a third time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Houlahan |first=Mike |date=14 December 2022 |title=Brooking puts name forward for seat |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/brooking-puts-name-forward-seat |access-date=4 January 2023 |work=Otago Daily Times |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223003248/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/brooking-puts-name-forward-seat|archive-date=23 December 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 December 2022 |title=Liz Craig selected as Invercargill's Labour candidate for 2023 |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/130738740/liz-craig-selected-as-invercargills-labour-candidate-for-2023 |access-date=4 January 2023 |work=The Southland Times |publisher=Stuff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014132215/https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/130738740/liz-craig-selected-as-invercargills-labour-candidate-for-2023|archive-date=14 October 2023|language=en}}</ref> She came second place to National candidate Penny Simmonds, who won by a margin of 10,945 votes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Invercargill - Official Result |url=https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-16.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=10 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123104118/https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-16.html |archive-date=23 November 2023 |date=3 November 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> Due to her low ranking on the Labour Party list, she was not re-elected to Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Johari |first1=Sneha |title=Labour's Liz Craig to leave Parliament |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/300989132/labours-liz-craig-to-leave-parliament |access-date=10 December 2023 |work=The Southland Times |date=14 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020013051/https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/300989132/labours-liz-craig-to-leave-parliament |archive-date=20 October 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|Politics|New Zealand}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Liz}} Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Category:21st-century New Zealand women politicians Category:New Zealand list MPs Category:Women members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 2014 New Zealand general election Category:Candidates in the 2017 New Zealand general election Category:Candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 2023 New Zealand general election Category:People educated at Spotswood College Category:University of Auckland alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Otago Category:New Zealand public health doctors Category:New Zealand women academics