Ian Templeton

Who is Ian Templeton?

Ian Campbell Templeton, CNZM, OBE, is a veteran New Zealand political reporter who celebrated 50 years of reporting the New Zealand Parliament from the press gallery in 2007. He has written several books on politics. He was the only print journalist to get a weekly one-on-one briefing with Prime Minister Helen Clark.

He was educated at King's High School, Dunedin, and completed an economics degree at the University of Otago. After university he was a general reporter for two years at the Otago Daily Times.

His twin brother Hugh is a former diplomat, public servant and politician, and their brother Malcolm is a diplomat, public servant and author.

Templeton was awarded an OBE in the 1994 New Year Honours, and appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours 2010, both for services to journalism.

In May 2011 he was given an honorary doctorate by Massey University; see oration by Colin James.