Julie Hardaker

Julie Hardaker
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34th Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 November 2010
Deputy	Gordon Chesterman
Preceded by	Bob Simcock
Majority	956
Personal details
Born	1960 (age 63–64)
Nationality	New Zealander
Spouse(s)	Steven Perdia
Children	Two stepsons
Alma mater	University of Waikato Faculty of Law
Occupation	Mayor of Hamilton
Profession	Lawyer
Website	Official website

Julie Hardaker (born 1960) is the Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand. Born in New Zealand, she was self-employed in Australia in the 1980s. After graduating from the University of Waikato, she joined the Hamilton law firm McCaw Lewis Chapman and eventually became a partner and held senior management roles. She is involved in various community organisations at a governance level. As a political novice, she defeated former Mayor and experienced politician Bob Simcock in the 2010 New Zealand local government elections. Hardaker was re-elected in the 2013 election beating her main rival Ewan Wilson, with a majority of 2911 votes, becoming the first mayor of Hamilton in nearly two decades to survive their first term in office. She was returned to power capturing 43.6% of the valid mayoral votes cast.

Life outside politics

Hardaker was born in 1960 (age 63–64) and grew up near Rotorua. She lived in Australia during the 1980s, where she was self-employed in retail. She graduated from the University of Waikato Faculty of Law in 1995 as the top law student with LLB Hons.

After university she joined the Hamilton law firm McCaw Lewis Chapman, where she became a partner in 2000. She initially specialised in dispute resolution, before turning her attention to employment law. She chaired the law firm's governance board, and at the time of her election as Mayor of Hamilton, she was in charge of finance.

Hardaker has served on the boards of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. She has been a member of the St Peters School Board of Trustees, and has been on the board of Habitat for Humanity Waikato. Before her election as Mayor, she was the chairperson of the Waikato SPCA.

Hardaker is married to Steven Perdia, who is father to two boys, Jordan and Spencer, living in Australia.

Political career

Hardaker entered the 2010 mayoral contest as a political newcomer, one of six candidates. Her main opponent was the experienced politician Bob Simcock, the incumbent Mayor, who has been on Hamilton City Council for 16 years. He had been appointed Mayor in 2007 following the resignation of his predecessor, and had represented Hamilton West in Parliament from 1996 until his defeat in 2002.

Hardaker campaigned for opening the books on the V8's, transparent government, city living and making the Waikato River accessible.

Of the 33,000 votes cast Hardaker and Simcock received 13,626 and 12,670, respectively, a majority of 956 votes and representing about 41% for Hardaker. A year into her reign, an opinion poll by the Waikato Times showed an almost unchanged level of support, with 40% of the respondents stating they would vote for her again if an election were held tomorrow.

She stood for re-election in the 2013 mayoral election. Her manifesto for her second term was managing finances, implementing the Waikato River Plan and investing in the city.

The three way battle between incumbent Hardaker, Ewan Wilson and David Macpherson narrowed when trailing Macpherson asked his supporters to shift their vote to Wilson which Hardaker called political game playing and claimed it made a mockery of the election process.

She was re-elected with 15737 votes over rival Ewan Wilson with 12826 votes, a 2911 majority which was a three-fold majority increase from 2010 and the first Mayor in Hamilton to be re-elected since Margaret Evans in 1995.

References

Political offices
Preceded by Bob Simcock	Mayor of Hamilton, New Zealand 2010 – present	Incumbent