Born in Mt Eden and having attended Auckland Grammar School Paul lives with his wife and their four children in the Epsom electorate.

First elected off the National Party list in 2011, Paul has served as the Chair of the Parliamentary Finance and Expenditure Select Committee. Following the 2014 General Election he was appointed Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Associate Minister for ACC.

In 2016 Paul was appointed Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Minister for Science and Innovation, and Minister for Regulatory Reform, and joined the Cabinet. 

Before entering Parliament, Paul created his own business as a historian and biographer focusing on New Zealand’s history and economic development. His last books were biographies of Alan Gibbs (Serious Fun) and Sir William Gallagher (Legend). Between 2007 and 2010 he served as an Auckland City Councillor.

Paul is an enthusiastic pianist and has a broad interest in the arts; he is a 2nd dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do and plays on the right wing for the Parliamentary Rugby team.

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Ministerial Address 

The Government’s role as an investor in Science and Innovation, including in health and clinical research.