Chun Ho Carlos Cheung (Chinese: 張雋浩; Cantonese Yale: Jēung Jeun-houh) is a New Zealand politician. He was elected as a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Mount Roskill, representing the National Party, in the 2023 New Zealand general election. Cheung has worked as a medical researcher and owned two property management companies.
Carlos Cheung | |
|---|---|
| 張雋浩 | |
.png) Cheung in 2023 | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Mount Roskill | |
| Assumed office 14 October 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Wood |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hong Kong |
| Political party | National |
| Profession | Medical researcher, property management |
| Alma mater | University of Auckland |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Acquired copper imbalance in diabetes-induced cardiac disease: Molecular mechanisms and reversibility (2013) |
| Doctoral advisors |
|
Career
editCheung was born in Hong Kong and moved to New Zealand as a teenager. He attended Auckland Grammar School and the University of Auckland, where he studied science and eventually graduated with a PhD in biological science. His 2013 thesis was on diabetes-induced cardiac disease, and his doctoral advisors were Garth Cooper and Shaoping Zhang.[1] He worked as a medical researcher but decided to leave research due to difficulty finding funding.[2] He set up Lifestyle Property Management in 2014 and later started a second company, Enfield Property Management.[3][2]
Political career
edit| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–present | 54th | Mount Roskill | 48 | National | |
Cheung was announced as National's candidate for Mount Roskill in March 2023[3] and was also a National Party list candidate, ranked 48th. On election night, Cheung won the electorate with an 1,564-vote lead over incumbent Michael Wood.[4][5] Mount Roskill had been regarded as a safe seat for Labour, with Wood holding a majority of 14,000 votes in the 2020 election, leading to Cheung's win being called "one of the stand out upsets of the election".[6][7] Cheung is the second Chinese-born MP to hold an electorate seat in New Zealand, the first being Pansy Wong.[8]
Views and positions
editCheung stated that he plans to "reduce cost-of-living pressures and restore law and order in our community".[8] He also planned to reduce costs for landlords.[2]
Personal life
editHe is married to Fiona Lai, who was elected as a Communities and Residents candidate to the Puketāpapa Local Board in 2019 and 2022.[9][10] They live in Mount Roskill.[7]
References
edit- ^ Cheung, Carlos (2013). Acquired copper imbalance in diabetes-induced cardiac disease: Molecular mechanisms and reversibility (PhD thesis). ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland. hdl:2292/20334.
- ^ a b c "New National MP on switching from science to property management". 1 News. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ a b New Zealand National Party (28 March 2023). "Dr Carlos Cheung Selected As National's Candidate In Mt Roskill". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "Mt Roskill - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "Red seats turn blue? National ahead in Labour's Auckland strongholds". NZ Herald. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Manhire, Toby (14 October 2023). "Poised to unseat Michael Wood in Mt Roskill, Carlos Cheung arrives to cheers". The Spinoff. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ a b Desmarais, Felix (16 October 2023). "New kids on the forecourt: Who are National's new MPs?". 1 News. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ a b Duoya Lu (16 October 2023). "Chinese candidates nervous about election fate". RNZ (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Local board members" (PDF). Auckland Council. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ "Local elections 2022 – Local board member official results" (PDF). Auckland Council. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.