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Pecuniary interests
21 items
Directorships
1 declared
Recent meetings
50 logged

Bg Background Methodology →

Research run #24 · 26 Apr 2026
Every claim below links to its source. Click any footnote [1] in the text, or expand the citation index after the bio, to see the verbatim quote and the page it came from.

Todd McClay is a New Zealand politician [3] and member of the National Party [57], serving as the Member of Parliament for Rotorua [40], a seat he has held since 2008 [39].

According to a single reputable secondary source, McClay attended Tauhara College and Wesley College for his secondary education [26][27], before going on to study at a polytech in New Zealand [28] and later completing a politics degree at a university in Britain [29]. Early in his working life, he held a variety of roles, including cleaning cars at a car yard [7], delivering furniture for Smith and Brown [10], and working at a sawmill in Taupo [13]. He also worked as a primary school teacher [12] and, according to a single reputable secondary source, as a school principal [14].

McClay subsequently pursued an international career, working in European Union institutions in Belgium [17] and undertaking government and public relations work internationally [11]. According to a single reputable secondary source, he served as Cook Islands Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the European Communities from 15 April 2002 [37], and held the role of Cook Islands and Niue Ambassador to the European Union [38]. In 2005, he was reportedly awarded honorary Cook Islands nationality [56].

He was first elected to Parliament as the Rotorua electorate MP in 2008 [55]. Sources differ on the precise start date of his parliamentary service — some place his entry as 2008 [40], while others cite 10 December 2008 [40]. During his parliamentary career, McClay has served on a number of select committees, including as Chair of the Commerce Committee [18], Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee [19], and as a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee [22], the Primary Industries Committee [24], and the Law and Order Committee [23].

McClay has held several ministerial offices. He has served as Minister of Revenue [47], Minister of Agriculture [45], Minister of Forestry [46], Minister for Trade and Investment [44], Minister for Hunting and Fishing [42], and Associate Minister of Health [33]. Sources differ on his tenure as Minister of Trade — one variant notes this role from 2023 [51]. According to single reputable secondary sources, he has also held the roles of Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs [32], Associate Minister of Tourism [34], and Minister of State-Owned Enterprises [49]. On 8 December 2016, according to a single reputable secondary source, he endorsed Bill English in the National Party leadership election [25].

Generated 30 Apr 2026 · model claude-sonnet-4-6
AI-generated biography. Assembled by an LLM from public sources (Wikipedia, Hansard, Beehive, Parliament register, news archives). Every claim is backed by a verbatim quote in one of the cited sources below and tagged confirmed, unverified, or disputed based on corroboration. Use as a starting reference, not a final source — cross-check anything load-bearing.
9 confirmed 49 unverified 1 disputed
Verify the bio — expand the citation index 59 sourced claims

Education

Career

Political offices

Party affiliation

Civic roles & honours

Looked for, not found

  • No specific dates confirmed for Todd McClay's tenure as Cook Islands and Niue Ambassador to the EU (appointment announced 2002, end date not confirmed from fetched sources).
  • Wellington Polytechnic qualification/degree type not confirmed from fetched sources (Wikipedia mentions it but the page's verbatim extraction was incomplete).

The researcher checked for these topics across the allowed public sources but could not find verbatim-quotable evidence. Absence here doesn't rule the fact out — it just means no journalist-accessible source covered it at the time of the run.

01 Positions

  • Cabinet Minister — Agriculture, Forestry, Trade and Investment
  • Associate Minister — Foreign Affairs

03 Pecuniary interests (2025) Methodology →

as of 2026-05-27 02:21
Beneficial interests in, and trusteeships of, trusts
McClay Family Trust (trustee and beneficiary) — McClay Family Trust (Trustee)
Debts owed by you
Westpac Bank – mortgage — Westpac Bank
Gifts
Attendance at Australian Open tennis – ANZ Leadership Forum — ANZ Leadership Forum
Donation to The Daily Charitable Trust, Te Puke – The Hugo Group — The Daily Charitable Trust
Honey for gifts – Manawa — Manawa
Lounge Membership – Qantas — Qantas
Vase – United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Trade
Overseas travel costs
Australia – Closer Economic Relations and Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum meetings. Contributor to domestic travel: Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum.
Brazil – G20 trade Ministers meeting. Contributor to domestic travel: Brazilian Government.
China – Ministerial meetings. Contributor to domestic travel: Chinese Government.
India – Bilateral visit. Contributor to domestic travel: Indian Government.
Italy – G7 trade Ministers meeting. Contributor to domestic travel: Italian Government.
Peru – Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Contributor to domestic travel: Peruvian Government.
United Arab Emirates – New Zealand - United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signing. Contributor to domestic travel: United Arab Emirates Government. Contributor to accommodation: United Arab Emirates Government.
United Arab Emirates – World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference. Contributor to domestic travel: United Arab Emirates Government.
Payment for activities
Speaking fee (donated to The Daily Charitable Trust, Te Puke) – The Hugo Group. — The Hugo Group
Real property
Home – Belgium
Private home – Pukehina
Private home – Rotorua
Retirement schemes
ANZ KiwiSaver — ANZ KiwiSaver
T&N McClay Superannuation Scheme — T&N McClay Superannuation Scheme

04 Directorships Methodology →

as of 2026-05-27 02:21
None recorded.

06 Trusteeships & beneficial trust interests

08 Recent meetings (as minister) Methodology →

as of 2026-10-01 15:31
2026-08-31 Mon
3 entries
MEET: Cabinet
with: Cabinet Ministers
MEET
MPI Officials
MEET: MPI Officials
with: Officials
MEET
MFAT Officials
MEET: MFAT Officials
with: Officials
MEET
2026-08-28 Fri
2 entries
SPEAK: Horticulture NZ 2026 Young Grower of the Year National Final Prizegiving.
with: Horticulture NZ, Attendees
MEET
MEET: MBIE
with: Officials
MEET
2026-08-27 Thu
3 entries
ATTEND: Dinner with U.S. Under Secretary of Agricultural Trade
with: U.S. Under Secretary of Agricultural Trade, U.S. delegation, U.S. Ambassador, Officials
MEET
SPEAK: U.S. Under Secretary of Agricultural Trade Parliament Reception
with: U.S. Under Secretary of Agricultural Trade, U.S. delegation, U.S. Ambassador, Officials
MEET
SPEAK: New Zealand Institute of Forestry 2026 Conference
with: NZIF Members, Hon James Meager
MEET
2026-08-26 Wed
5 entries
MEET: MFAT
with: Officials
MEET
MEET: MBIE
with: Officials
MEET
SPEAK: NZ Winegrowers
with: NZ Winegrowers board
MEET
MEET: Standards Australia Board of Directors and Executives
with: Standards Australia Board of Directors and Executives
MEET
MEET: ECO Cabinet Committee
with: ECO Cabinet Ministers
MEET
2026-08-25 Tue
4 entries
UK Minister of State for Trade
MEET: UK Minister of State for Trade
with: UK Minister of State for Trade Anas Sarwar
MEET
MEET: FPS Cabinet Committee
with: FPS Cabinet Ministers
MEET
US Ambassador
MEET: US Ambassador
with: US Ambassador Jared Novelly
MEET
SPEAK: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Forum 2026
with: ASEAN Officials
MEET
2026-08-24 Mon
3 entries
SPEAK: Launch of the Helen Clark Foundation's Agri-Tech Report
with: Helen Clark Foundation representatives, Attendees
MEET
MEET: Cabinet
with: Cabinet Ministers
MEET
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Rt Hon Simon Upton
MEET: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Rt Hon Simon Upton
with: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Rt Hon Simon Upton
MEET
2026-08-21 Fri
3 entries
Official Meetings
ATTEND: Official Meetings
with: Thai Prime Minister Anutin, Prime Minister, Thai delegation, Hon Penny Simmonds
MEET
Thai Prime Minister
MEET: Thai Prime Minister
with: Thai Prime Minister Anutin, Prime Minister, Thai delegation, Hon Penny Simmonds
MEET
Thai Commerce Minister
HOST: Thai Commerce Minister
with: Commerce Minister Suphajee, Thai Delegation, Officials
MEET
2026-08-19 Wed
5 entries
MEET: Foresight UK
with: Foresight UK representatives
MEET
MEET: Rural Advisory Group Chairs
with: Rural Advisory Group Chairs
MEET
MEET: ASEAN Study Tour
with: ASEAN Officials
MEET
Meet: ECO Cabinet Committee
with: ECO Cabinet Ministers
MEET
Gisborne Mayor
MEET: Gisborne Mayor
with: Gisborne Mayor
MEET
2026-08-18 Tue
3 entries
MEET: APH Cabinet Committee
with: APH Cabinet Ministers
MEET
MEET: Emissions Trading Scheme Reference Group
with: ETS Reference Group
MEET
MEET: Autex
with: Autex reprsentatives
MEET
2026-08-17 Mon
6 entries
Thai Deputy Minister of Agriculture
MEET: Thai Deputy Minister of Agriculture
with: Thai Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Watcharaphon Khaokham
MEET
MEET: InvestNZ
with: Officials
MEET
MEET: Cabinet
with: Cabinet Ministers
MEET
MPI
MEET: MPI
with: Officials
MEET
MEET: NZTE
with: Officials
MEET
MEET: MFAT
with: Officials
MEET
2026-08-13 Thu
5 entries
MEET: Poultry Industry Association NZ and Tegel Foods
MEET
ATTEND: Signing Ceremony
with: Governor General, Viet Nam President To Lam, Ministers, Officials
MEET
Viet Nam Party General Secretary and President
MEET: Viet Nam Party General Secretary and President
with: Viet Nam Party General Secretary and President To Lam
MEET
Viet Nam Minister of Trade and Industry
MEET: Viet Nam Minister of Trade and Industry
with: Viet Nam Minister of Trade and Industry
MEET
SPEAK: New Zealand- Viet Nam Business Roundtable
with: Viet Nam Minister of Trade and Industry, Viet Nam business delegation, New Zealand business delegation
MEET
2026-08-11 Tue
3 entries
VISIT: Westbury Stud
MEET
VISIT: AS Wilcox & Sons Ltd
MEET
SPEAK: Dairy NZ/Rabobank Shed Talk
with: Dairy NZ, Rabobank, Tim van de Molen, Attendees
MEET
2026-08-10 Mon
3 entries
MEET: Cabinet
with: Cabinet Ministers
MEET
MPI
MEET: MPI
with: Officials
MEET
MEET: MBIE
with: Officials
MEET
2026-08-07 Fri
1 entry
SPEAK: Bay of Plenty Export NZ Awards
with: ExportNZ Bay of Plenty members, Attendees
MEET
2026-08-06 Thu
1 entry
SPEAK: Hawkes Bay Business Central ExportNZ Awards
with: ExportNZ Business Central members, Attendees
MEET

09 Recent Hansard speeches

10 Recent press releases

From Beehive.govt.nz. Most recent 10.

11 Recent ministerial speeches

From Beehive.govt.nz — conference keynotes and ministerial addresses (distinct from Hansard floor debates).

  • The National-led Government is unequivocally committed to the success of New Zealand’s primary industries as a core governing priority. We will continue delivering workable regulations, practical environmental solutions, strong trade access, and investment in innovation and people.
    2026-06-24
  • Good evening, everyone. Thank you to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs for the invitation to deliver this year's annual lecture. It’s a pleasure to be here.
    2026-05-13
  • I am pleased to be among so many of New Zealand’s business leaders – people who are driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of our economy.
    2025-12-02
  • Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished guests, representatives from across the European Union and New Zealand - good morning and welcome to Auckland. Can I begin by acknowledging our co-hosts and the remarkable efforts that have brought us together today.
    2025-10-23

12 In the news Methodology →

50 articles

Coverage from RNZ, Stuff, NZ Herald, ODT, 1News, Newsroom and The Spinoff that mentions this person. Click any source to expand. Article body markdown is captured separately and used for AI summarisation downstream.

RNZ 25
NZ Herald 8
Stuff 5
Newsroom 4
  • The National leader suggests NZ’s law and order issue is ‘solved’ and within moments police race to a street crime by his campaign event The post Luxon’s Mission Accomplished moment appeared first on Newsroom .
    2026-10-14
  • Analysis: The Pacific would be insulated from the $431m cuts, meaning development aid to the rest of the world would be slashed by a third The post Would Nats’ retreat on overseas aid make NZ great again? ‘NZ is already great’ appeared…
    2026-10-05
  • From The Detail: New Zealand faces its first climate complaint under EU trade rules, but the Government rejects claims climate promises have been broken The post What backsliding on climate deals could cost us appeared first on Newsroom .
    2026-10-04
  • Updated: Govt's top law officer warned that if ministers blocked Mike Smith's Fonterra lawsuit, the next case would target the Crown directly. She's been proven right. The post Formal complaint that NZ climate backsliding breaches Europe…
    2026-09-29
Otago Daily Times 4
The Spinoff 2
1News 2

13 OIA disclosures Methodology →

1 release

Strict-mode Official Information Act responses from FYI.org.nz that name this MP. Tenure-checked: each row represents a request whose subject period overlapped a role this MP held. Click through to read the full release on FYI.

12.5 Heard on radio

12 segments

Verbatim segments from podcasts and radio where this person was the speaker, attributed via the voice-reference library. Click play to stream the original audio from the publisher, pre-seeked to the moment the segment starts. Transcriptions are automated and attributions are manually reviewed, but cannot be guaranteed to be absolutely accurate — the seek point or speaker label may occasionally drift; the linked episode is the source of truth.

13 Commentary topics Methodology →

6 topics · 12 weeks

Topics where op-eds, blogs and press releases have mentioned this person, week-by-week. Each row links through to the topic detail in the discourse lens.

14 Press topics Methodology →

6 topics · 12 weeks

Topics where major news outlets have reported on this person. Each row links through to the topic detail in the press lens. Compare to the discourse rows above to see where reporting and commentary converge or diverge.

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