Damien O'Connor is a Labour Party [28] Member of Parliament who has represented the West Coast-Tasman electorate and, from 2023, holds a Labour list seat [9][12].
According to a single reputable secondary source, O'Connor was educated at St Bede's College in Christchurch [6]. Prior to his parliamentary career, he is reported to have worked as a sharemilker and as a tourism venture operator [1][2], and is said to have been an owner-operator of Buller Adventure Tours [3].
O'Connor first entered Parliament in 1993 [10][12] as a Labour MP [11][28]. During his time in opposition, he is reported to have served as a spokesperson across several portfolios, including Foreign Affairs [24], Land Information [25], Trade [26], and Transport [27].
He served as a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour Government [8][19], holding the portfolios of Minister of Corrections [22] and Associate Agriculture Minister [7], among others. Following Labour's return to government, he served as a minister in the Sixth Labour Government [20], holding the confirmed roles of Minister of Agriculture [21], Minister for Trade and Export Growth [18], Minister of Tourism [23], and Minister for Land Information [16]. He is also reported to have held the portfolios of Minister for Biosecurity [14], Minister for Food Safety [15], and Minister for Rural Communities [17] from 2017. He is further reported to have served as a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee [13] and as Opposition spokesperson for Foreign Affairs [24].
Since 2023, O'Connor has held a Labour list seat in Parliament [9]. According to a single reputable secondary source, he has been a director of Mahana Berries Limited, a horticulture company, and Tourism Partners Limited, a consultancy, both from 2025 [4][5].