New Electoral Commission CEO announced

Associate Justice Minister Rick Barker today announced the appointment of Dr Helena Catt as the new Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission.

Dr Catt replaces Dr Paul Harris, who is retiring after holding the office of Chief Executive since the Commission's inception in 1994

Dr Catt, who takes over as Chief Executive on 1 March, was most recently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Studies at Auckland University and an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts.

The focus of Dr Catt's academic work has been on electoral systems and the democratic process. She holds an MA (Hons) in Modern History and Politics from Edinburgh University and a PhD (on tactical voting) from the London School of Economics.

"Dr Catt will bring to the position excellent communication skills, a thorough knowledge and understanding of the electoral system, strong analytical skills and experience in managing relationships amongst diverse peoples and organisations," Mr Barker said.

She has a particular interest in the public education aspects of the Commission's work.

The Electoral Commission, an independent Crown entity, registers political parties and logos, monitors political parties' election spending and donations, delivers electoral education, and provides advice to the government and Parliament on electoral matters.

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