Mark Burton (politician)
Richard Mark Burton (16 January 1956 - ) is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party, and currently serves as (among other things) Minister of Defence.
Burton was born in Northampton, England, but was brought to New Zealand by his family when ten years old. He attended high school in Wanganui. He has been involved in a wide range of social and community organisations, including the Red Cross, the Department of Social Welfare, the Central Plateau Rural Education Activities Programme, the Council of Social Services, the Taupo Employment Support Trust, and the Taupo Sexual Abuse Counselling Service. He received a medal for his work in 1990.
In the 1993 elections, Burton stood as the Labour Party's candidate for Tongoriro, an electorate in the central North Island. This later became the seat of Taupo, which Burton retained. From 1996 to 1999, he served as his party's Senior Whip. When the Labour Party won power in the 1999 election, Burton became part of the new Cabinet, assuming the roles of Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Defence, Minister for State-Owned Enterprises, Minister of Tourism, and Minister of Veterans' Affairs. In 2002, Internal Affairs and Veterans' Affairs were transferred to George Hawkins. In February 2005 he becomes the Minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.
In late 2004, with Jonathan Hunt set to retire from politics, Burton was regarded by many as the Labour Party's preferred choice to replace him as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In the end, however, Labour decided to nominate Margaret Wilson for the position.