{{Short description|New Zealand politician (1945–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Roger McClay | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|size=100%}} | image = | alt = | caption = | order = 3rd Commissioner for Children | term_start = 1998 | term_end = 2003 | predecessor = Laurie O'Reilly | successor = Cindy Kiro | office1 = 3rd Minister of Youth Affairs | prime_minister1 = Jim Bolger | term_start1 = 2 November 1990 | term_end1 = 8 November 1996 | predecessor1 = Annette King | successor1 = Katherine O'Regan | constituency_MP6 = Waikaremoana | parliament6 = New Zealand | predecessor6 = ''new electorate'' | successor6 = ''electorate abolished'' | term_start6 = 1984 | term_end6 = 1996 | constituency_MP7 = Taupo | parliament7 = New Zealand | predecessor7 = Jack Ridley | successor7 = ''electorate abolished'' | term_start7 = 1981 | term_end7 = 1984 | birth_name = Roger Neville McClay | birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|02|06|df=y}} | birth_place = Pukekohe, New Zealand | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|11|07|1945|02|06|df=y}} | death_place = Taupō, New Zealand | relations = Todd McClay (son) | spouse = | children = | party = National }} '''Roger Neville McClay''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO}} (6 February 1945 – 7 November 2025) was a New Zealand politician. He became Minister of Youth Affairs and Associate Minister of Education and Social Welfare during the Fourth National Government. He later held the role of Commissioner for Children from 1998 to 2003.
==Early life and family== McClay was born at Pukekohe on 6 February 1945.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19450210.2.3 |title=Births |work=The New Zealand Herald |volume=82 |issue=25124 |page=1 |date=10 February 1945 |access-date=11 November 2025 |via=PapersPast}}</ref> He was educated at Wesley College and Waiuku College, and went on to study at Ardmore Teachers' College from 1963 to 1964, earning a Trained Teacher's Certificate.<ref name="HBTQ"/>
In 1966, McClay married Dawn Ferguson, and the couple went on to have three children.<ref name="HBTQ"/>
McClay worked as a primary school teacher and school principal.<ref name="HBTQ"/> He was also active in Jaycees, serving as national vice-president in 1980 and as an international senator to World Jaycees.<ref name="HBTQ"/>
==Member of Parliament== {{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true}} {{NZ parlbox|term=40th|start={{NZ election link year|1981}}|end=1984|party=New Zealand National Party|electorate=Taupo}} {{NZ parlbox|term=41st|start={{NZ election link year|1984}}|end=1987|party=New Zealand National Party|electorate=Waikaremoana}} {{NZ parlbox|term=42nd|start={{NZ election link year|1987}}|end=1990|party=New Zealand National Party |electorate=Waikaremoana}} {{NZ parlbox|term=43rd|start={{NZ election link year|1990}}|end=1993|party=New Zealand National Party |electorate=Waikaremoana}} {{NZ parlbox|term=44th|start={{NZ election link year|1993}}|end=1996|party=New Zealand National Party |electorate=Waikaremoana}} {{End}} McClay was an MP from 1981 to 1996, representing the National Party. He was first elected to Parliament in the 1981 election as MP for Taupo,<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= Jim | author-link=Jim Wilson (librarian) |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103 |page=214}}</ref> defeating the incumbent Labour MP, Jack Ridley.
In the 1984 election, he contested and won the new seat of Waikaremoana,<ref name=Wilson /> which he held until he retired at the 1996 election.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Helen |author-link1=Helen Clark |title=Valedictories |url=http://www.vdig.net/hansard/content.jsp?id=53410 |publisher=Hansard |access-date=10 June 2015 |date=27 August 1996}}</ref> He became Minister of Youth Affairs and Associate Minister of Education and Social Welfare during the Fourth National Government.<ref name=records/> He later held the role of Commissioner for Children from 1998 to 2003.<ref>{{Cite book |url= https://fyi.org.nz/request/8696/response/28185/attach/html/5/OCC%20Book%20A%20VoiceforChildren%20010104.pdf.html |title=A Voice for Children |last=Barrington |first=John |date=2004 |publisher=Dunmore Press |isbn=0-86469-459-8 |access-date=5 October 2019}}</ref>
In 1990, McClay was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.<ref name="HBTQ">{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |author-link1=Alister Taylor |author-link2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=250}}</ref>
His son, Todd McClay, was elected as the National Party Member of Parliament for Rotorua at the 2008 general election.
==Post-parliament career== In the 2005 New Year Honours, McClay was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order (QSO).<ref>{{cite web|title=New Year Honours List 2005|url=http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/node/379|publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|access-date=10 June 2015|date=31 December 2004}}</ref>
McClay was the chairman for Keep New Zealand Beautiful until July 2009. He has been involved in a number of other charities, including the New Zealand Spinal Trust,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10613613 |title=Police probe ex-MP's expenses |work=The New Zealand Herald |first=Jared |last=Savage |date=5 December 2009 |access-date=5 December 2009}}</ref> World Vision, Heart Children New Zealand, Variety, the Children's Charity and For the Sake of Children.<ref name="records">{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10616489|title=Charity records seized in inquiry into former MP|work=The New Zealand Herald |first=Jared |last=Savage |date=19 December 2009}}</ref>
In March 2010, he was charged with misuse of taxpayer-subsidised flights.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10630284|title=Ex-MP in court on expenses charges|work=The New Zealand Herald|first=Jared|last=Savage|date=6 March 2010}}</ref> In August the same year, he pleaded guilty.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/former-mp-mcclay-admits-defrauding-charity-3706662|title=Former MP admits defrauding charity|date=16 August 2010|publisher=TVNZ|work=ONE News}}</ref> He repaid the two charities that he had defrauded, Keep New Zealand Beautiful and World Vision.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Savage|first1=Jared|title=McClay offers no apologies for charity double dip|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10668881|access-date=10 June 2015|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=26 August 2010}}</ref> He was convicted and given a sentence of 300 hours of community work. In addition, he was stripped of his travel benefits by the Parliamentary Services Commission.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last=Savage|first=Jared|date=25 August 2010|title=McClay sentenced to community service|work=The New Zealand Herald|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10668683|url-status=dead|access-date=25 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185058/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10668683|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref>
McClay died on 7 November 2025, at the age of 80, after having cancer for five years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360880520/former-national-politician-roger-mcclay-dies|title=Former National politician Roger McClay dies|publisher=Stuff|date=9 November 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McClay, Roger}} Category:1945 births Category:2025 deaths Category:New Zealand National Party MPs Category:Children's ombudsmen in New Zealand Category:Politicians from Auckland Category:New Zealand educators Category:New Zealand public servants Category:People educated at Wesley College, Auckland Category:Auckland College of Education alumni Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order Category:New Zealand politicians convicted of fraud Category:Heads of schools in New Zealand Category:People from Pukekohe Category:People educated at Waiuku College