Chester Borrows

In the, Borrows stood again in Whanganui and was ranked 36th on the party list, which was again not high enough to enter parliament.

Ranked 45th on the party list, he was not high enough to enter parliament.

Kerry James "Chester" Borrows (20 June 1957 – 27 February 2023) was a New Zealand National Party politician who served as a Member of the New Zealand Parliament (MP) from 2005 to 2017.

Borrows worked as a police officer, including as a sole charge officer, and received a Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for attempting to arrest an armed murderer.

Born in 1957, Borrows was raised in Nelson and was educated at Nayland College.

Borrows joined the New Zealand Police and worked in Nelson, Wellington and Auckland before becoming the sole charge officer in Patea.

As a police constable, he received a Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct in 1978, for services in attempting to arrest an armed murderer.

Borrows joined the National Party in 1987, having previously been a Labour supporter.

He first stood for Parliament in the, in the electorate, but he could not unseat the incumbent, Jill Pettis of the Labour Party.

He first stood for Parliament in 1999, and was elected in 2005.

He was a Minister outside Cabinet for three years, and was Deputy Speaker also for three years.

In 2002, Borrows graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington, and was admitted to the bar.

He subsequently worked as a lawyer in Hāwera.

In the 2005 election, Borrows won the Whanganui electorate, defeating Pettis 15,846 electorate votes to 13,444.

Borrows voted for the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007), as did all National MPs. The Act removed the legal defence of "reasonable force" for parents prosecuted for assault on their children. Borrows proposed an amendment which would have legalised the use of force on children providing that it did not "cause or contribute materially to harm that is more than transitory and trifling", involve any weapon, tool or other implement, and was not "cruel, degrading, or terrifying". It was voted against by Parliament 63–58. According to Borrows, he convinced then Justice Minister Simon Power in 2008 to "take DNA off everybody arrested in the same way we can take fingerprints and photographs without having to go off and get a warrant." Borrows said in 2016 that this was what he was most proud of in his time in Parliament, saying, "that single thing's probably prevented more victims than anything we've done."

Borrows would go on to win the electorate in 2008, 2011, and 2014.

Also in 2008, Borrows helped to create youth justice reforms.

After the 2011 election Borrows was appointed a Minister outside Cabinet for Courts.

He also received the associate portfolios of Justice and Social Development.

He held these roles until 2014.

After losing his ministerial role, Borrows increasingly spoke out, including against his own party.

He publicly disagreed with Corrections Minister Judith Collins about her decision to stand down a gang member from his mentor work in prison.

The gang member, Ngapari Nui, was a personal friend of Borrows and Collins suggested that was getting in the way of his judgement.

After the 2014 general election Borrows moved into the role of Deputy Speaker, replacing Eric Roy who had retired from the role and Parliament.

Borrows was granted the style The Honourable for life by the usual convention for outgoing Ministers.

The building closed in 2016 as it was an earthquake risk.

He did not run for Parliament in 2017.

Borrows served as head of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, tasked with helping reform New Zealand's criminal justice system.

He also served as an archdeacon in the Anglican Church.

Borrows broke ranks with his party in 2017 to openly condemn what he called the "discriminatory" policies of US President Donald Trump, and reiterated his support for Syrian and Muslim refugees.

Throughout his time in Parliament, Borrows was a member of eight select committees, including being the chair of the Justice and Electoral committee for three years.

Borrows did not stand in the 2017 general election.

According to Borrows in 2017, it was always his intention to serve only four terms.

Borrows was described in 2017 as having a "smart on crime" approach that was "at odds with those on the Right-leaning side of the House who subscribe to the 'tough on crime' school of thought."

In the 2018 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services as a member of parliament.

In 2018, Borrows was appointed head of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, which is tasked with helping reform New Zealand's criminal justice system.

In a 2019 article for The Spinoff news website Borrows condemned then-National Party leader Simon Bridges' "tough on crime" approach, saying there was no evidence it would reduce crime rates.

By June 2020 he was no longer in this role.

As of 2021, Borrows was an archdeacon for the Anglican Church.

His work included assisting with a restoration of St Mary's Anglican Church in Hāwera.