About Louise

Louise Upston is the Member of Parliament for Taupō, a seat she has held since the General Election of 2008.

In December 2016, Louise became a Cabinet Minister and was appointed Minister of Corrections. She was also the Associate Minister of Education, Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment and Associate Minister for Primary industries. She previously held roles in Land Information, Local Government, Women, Social Investment, Whānau Ora and Land Information.

Before being appointed a Minister, Louise was Government Chief Whip for two years and was Junior Whip for one year.

Louise is currently the Spokesperson for Social Development and Employment, Child Poverty Reduction, and Family Violence Prevention.

Prior to entering Parliament in 2008, Louise was self-employed as a project management consultant. She also held directorships in a number of trusts and companies involved in property, tourism, management, and consulting. Louise holds an MBA from Waikato University.

Louise lives in Karāpiro, south of Cambridge, with her partner Hamish and her children. She enjoys participating in sporting events and has competed in the Round the Lake Relay, the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge, and the 63.3km challenge—three Taupō-based half marathons in three months. She is also co-captain of the Parliamentary netball team.