Heather Roy

Who is Heather Roy?

Heather Roy, is a former New Zealand politician who served as an ACT Member of Parliament from 2002 until 2011. From 2006 until 17 August 2010, Roy was ACT's Deputy Leader. Following the signing of the National-ACT Supply and Confidence Agreement after the 2008 General Election she was appointed as Minister of Consumer Affairs, as well as Associate Minister of Defence and Associate Minister of Education. On 17 August 2010, Roy was replaced as Deputy Leader by first term ACT MP John Boscawen who took over her primary Ministerial role. In June 2011, Roy announced that she would retire at the 2011 general election.

Before entering politics, Roy worked as a physiotherapist, medical research co-ordinator, manager of a private kindergarten and as publicity officer for the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.

Following her retirement from Parliament, Roy is now non-executive Chair of Medicines New Zealand, and has also resumed her role as a Reserve Forces field engineer in the New Zealand Army. She and her husband Duncan, a doctor, have five children.