Linda Cooper (politician)

Linda Ann Cooper MNZM is a New Zealand politician who was a councillor on the Auckland Council from 2013 to 2022. In 2025 she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the community.

Political career

Auckland Council
Years	Ward
2013–2016	Waitākere	Independent
2016–2019	Waitākere	Independent
2019–2022	Waitākere	Independent

Cooper served on the Waitakere Community Board for 4 years and Waitakere City Council for 2 terms. She has been an elected member on the Waitakere Licensing Trust since 2001 and the President since 2010.

At the 2010 Auckland elections, Cooper stood for the Citizens & Ratepayers local-body ticket in the Albany ward. She finished sixth in the ward, and was not elected to the new Auckland Council.^[1]

At the 2011 general parliamentary election, Cooper stood as a list-only candidate for the New Zealand National Party. Ranked at number 74 in the list, she was not elected to parliament.^[2]

At the 2013 Auckland elections, Cooper was elected as a councillor for the Waitākere ward.^[3] She was one of two new centre-right candidates elected to the Auckland Council in 2013.^[4]

In 2015 Cooper made controversial remarks on the Auckland Pride Festival Facebook page while defending the attendance of National MPs who voted against gay marriage rights. Cooper referred to another user, as a "little boy" and a "judgmental little cock". A complaint was made with the Auckland Council, and Linda Cooper issued an apology and explained that her use of the word "cock" was to imply that the other user was being a "righteous rooster".^[5]^[6]

She was re-elected to council at the 2016 Auckland elections, and also re-elected to the Waitakere Licensing Trust.^[7]^[8] In 2017, Cooper announced she would seek selection as the National Party's candidate for Helensville at the 2017 general election;^[9] she did not win selection.

Cooper lost her seat on the Auckland Council in the 2022 local body elections.^[10]

In the 2025 New Year Honours Cooper was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the community.^[11]

References

^ "Auckland – Final Results" (PDF). Aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Party lists for the 2011 General Election". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
^ "Auckland Council Mayor – Preliminary result at 00:43, 13 October 2013" (PDF). Auckland Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
^ Risk of stalemate in new council nzherald.co.nz, 13 October 2013
^ Bernard Orsman (23 February 2015). "'You judgmental little c**k' – National Party councillor Linda Cooper lashes out in abusive Facebook post". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
^ "Auckland Councillor Linda Cooper defends 'judgemental cock' Facebook outburst". Newshub. 23 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
^ "Final Result" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
^ "Declaration of Results of Election for the 2016 elections for the five licensing trusts in the Auckland region" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
^ "Councillor Cooper seeking Helensville nod". 12 January 2017.
^ "Local elections 2022 – Official results" (PDF). Local elections 2022 – Official results. Auckland Council. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
^ "New Year Honours List 2025 - Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.

[finalresults2010-1] "Auckland – Final Results" (PDF). Aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[electionsnz-final-2] "Party lists for the 2011 General Election". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2011.

[prelims-3] "Auckland Council Mayor – Preliminary result at 00:43, 13 October 2013" (PDF). Auckland Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.

[4] Risk of stalemate in new council nzherald.co.nz, 13 October 2013

[5] Bernard Orsman (23 February 2015). "'You judgmental little c**k' – National Party councillor Linda Cooper lashes out in abusive Facebook post". NZ Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2016.

[6] "Auckland Councillor Linda Cooper defends 'judgemental cock' Facebook outburst". Newshub. 23 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.

[7] "Final Result" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.

[8] "Declaration of Results of Election for the 2016 elections for the five licensing trusts in the Auckland region" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.

[9] "Councillor Cooper seeking Helensville nod". 12 January 2017.

[:2-10] "Local elections 2022 – Official results" (PDF). Local elections 2022 – Official results. Auckland Council. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.

[11] "New Year Honours List 2025 - Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.

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Linda Cooper (politician)

Political career

References

Portal di Ensiklopedia Dunia