The Honourable Doctor Jonathan Coleman
39th Minister of Health
In office 8 October 2014 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	John Key Bill English
Preceded by	Tony Ryall
Succeeded by	David Clark
10th Minister for Sport and Recreation
In office 8 October 2014 – 26 October 2017
Prime Minister	John Key Bill English
Preceded by	Murray McCully
Succeeded by	Grant Robertson
37th Minister of Defence
In office 14 December 2011 – 8 October 2014
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Wayne Mapp
Succeeded by	Gerry Brownlee
Minister of State Services
In office 14 December 2011 – 8 October 2014
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Tony Ryall
Succeeded by	Paula Bennett
53rd Minister of Immigration
In office 19 November 2008 – 14 December 2011
Prime Minister	John Key
Preceded by	Clayton Cosgrove
Succeeded by	Nathan Guy
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Northcote
In office 17 September 2005 – 15 April 2018
Preceded by	Ann Hartley
Succeeded by	Dan Bidois
Personal details
Born	(1966-09-23) 23 September 1966 (age 58)[citation needed] Auckland, New Zealand[citation needed]
Political party	National Party
Alma mater	University of Auckland London Business School

Jonathan David Coleman (born 23 September 1966) is a retired New Zealand politician and medical practitioner, who most recently served as Minister of Health and for Sport and Recreation under the Fifth National Government. Coleman also served as Minister of Defence and Immigration within the first two terms of that government, and represented the parliamentary constituency Northcote for the National Party from 2005 to 2018.

Coleman trained in medicine at the University of Auckland before acquiring an MBA from the London Business School in the United Kingdom. In the 2005 election, Coleman stood as the National Party's candidate for the Northcote seat, defeating Ann Hartley of the Labour Party in what was the only Labour seat to flip to National in the entire election. He came a cabinet minister upon John Key leading the party to victory in 2008. A member of National's right-wing faction, Coleman has espoused socially conservative views, notably opposing gay marriage and free reassignment healthcare for transgender people.^[1][2] He oversaw austerity as Health Minister, including multiple budget cuts across the medical sector. These were controversial to the point in which a motion of no confidence was almost tabled in him by members of the Southern District Health Board in 2015.^[3][4][5]

Coleman announced his intention to seek the National Party leadership in 2016 after John Key announced his intention to resign, but withdrew, allowing Bill English to succeed as Prime Minister unopposed.^[6]

After attending Auckland Grammar School where he was Head Prefect in 1984, Coleman trained as a doctor, graduating from University of Auckland's medical school. He worked as a doctor in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia (in the latter case, for the Royal Flying Doctor Service). He later obtained an MBA from London Business School in 2000, and returned to New Zealand the following year. ^{[citation needed]}

Coleman worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers as consultant on health sector issues and as a part-time general practitioner in Ōtara. He entered the selection for the National Party candidacy for Tamaki but was defeated by Allan Peachey before successfully contesting the candidacy for Northcote.

Coleman has a 170-year family connection to his Northcote electorate. He has also claimed to have “a bit of tangata whenua thrown in to [his] bloodline”, but he has never shown evidence of having Māori whakapapa, nor affiliated himself to any iwi.^[7]

In the 2005 election, Coleman stood as the National Party's candidate for the Northcote seat. He was also ranked 35th on the party's list. Coleman was successful, defeating Ann Hartley of the Labour Party. This was the only Auckland seat to change hands between Labour and National in the 2005 election.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, Coleman (then the National Party's associate health spokesman) caused controversy when he accepted British American Tobacco's – an active lobbier on health sector issues – offer of sitting in their corporate box during a U2 concert.^[8] It was alleged he blew cigar smoke at a woman during the concert.^[9] Coleman admitted he made a mistake by sitting in British American Tobacco's corporate box and smoking at a U2 concert.^[10]

In the 2008 election Coleman was re-elected in Northcote with a majority of 9,360 votes.^[11] He was again successful in the 2011 election, winning by a majority of 9,379 votes.^[12] He had a slightly increased majority in the 2014 election.^[13]

After being re-elected for a third term for the Northcote seat in November 2011, Coleman was promoted in Cabinet to Minister of Defence, Minister of State Services and Associate Minister of Finance.^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, Coleman made a secret visit to Afghanistan to visit New Zealand troops.^[14] Coleman said the visit was a "chance for him to offer his support to the troops for the important work they were doing providing security in the province".^[15]

As Minister of Defence, Coleman led the implementation of the 2010 Defence White Paper.^[16] He commissioned the Defence Mid-Point Rebalancing Review which set out the long term approach, balancing funding, capabilities and policy.^[17] Coleman oversaw the NZDF's successful withdrawal from its three largest missions in Afghanistan, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.^[18]

Coleman voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013.^[2]

In 2014 Coleman became the first doctor in 70 years to take the health portfolio.^[19] In May 2015, Coleman described the Young Labour's proposal for free gender reassignment surgery for transgender people in New Zealand as a "nutty idea".^[1]

On 20 May 2015, a meeting in Alexandra organised by Central Otago Health Services Ltd supported a vote of no confidence in Health Minister Jonathan Coleman.^[3] When Russell Garbutt moved a motion of no confidence in the minister and emailed him the following morning, he did not expect Coleman to pick up the phone and call [him]. They spoke for more than 10 minutes, with Coleman telling Mr Garbutt the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) was his ''number 1'' priority in respect of its budget woes.^[20]

Coleman announced his intention to seek the National Party leadership in 2016 after John Key announced his intention to resign.^[6] He was unsuccessful, with Bill English becoming the new PM.

On 22 March 2018, Coleman announced he would resign from Parliament, thereby triggering the 2018 Northcote by-election.

• Official website
• Profile at National Party website
• Profile at New Zealand Parliament
• Releases and speeches at Beehive.govt.nz