  michael laws (born 1957) is a new zealand politician, broadcaster and writer/columnist. he served two terms as a member of the parliament of new zealand, representing the national party (1990â96). he was elected as mayor of wanganui in 2004, and was re-elected in 2007. before the october 2010 elections he announced his retirement from the mayoralty, but in 2013 entered the "race" for the wanganui mayoralty again. he is currently an elected district councillor and district health board member. he was a radio live morning talkback host and a longstanding sunday star-times columnist. == early life == laws was born in wairoa on 26 june 1957. he moved with his parents to wanganui where he received his pre-tertiary education at tawhero primary school, wanganui intermediate school, waitaki boys' high school (3rd and 4th form) and wanganui boys' college. his father, keith laws, a schoolteacher, became rector (principal) of waitaki boys' high school (oamaru) and then of scots college, wellington. on leaving school, laws spent two holidays spells at the whakatu freezing works before entering the university of otago, where he graduated with first-class honours in history and earned a university grants committee postgraduate scholarship. he also won an otago university sporting blue. he later obtained a master of arts from victoria university. during his time at otago he attracted controversy as a key member of a student organisation that supported the 1981 springbok tour. he also became an accomplished public speaker and captained both the new zealand universities and new zealand debating teams in the early-mid-1980s. == national party member of parliament ==   {{nz parlbox|term=44th|start=1993|end=1996|party=new zealand nati
1957_births Anti-Indian_sentiment Living_people Mayors_of_Wanganui Members_of_the_New_Zealand_House_of_Representatives New_Zealand_First_MPs New_Zealand_MPs_for_North_Island_electorates New_Zealand_National_Party_MPs New_Zealand_broadcasters New_Zealand_crime_fiction_writers People_from_Whanganui University_of_Otago_alumni Victoria_University_of_Wellington_alumni