George Hawkins

George Warren Hawkins (born 1946) is a New Zealand politician. He has served in local government, including as mayor of Papakura from 1983 to 1992, and in New Zealand parliament as a member for the Labour Party between 1990 and 2011. Early life Hawkins was born on 15 May 1946 in the Auckland suburb of Mt Eden. He attended Dominion Road Primary School, Mount Albert Grammar School (1960–1963) and then Auckland Teachers' College. Before entering politics, he was a teacher and had also been a photographer for the Auckland Star newspaper. He later became a company director. Political career In the 1970s Hawkins became an anti-nuclear activist and he joined the Labour Party. He became chair of Labour's Papakura branch. In early 1977 he stood as a candidate for the Labour Party nomination in the Mangere by-election, but he lost out to future prime minister David Lange. Later that year Hawkins stood for the nomination for the nearby seat of , but was again unsuccessful. Papakura Hawkins was a Papakura City councillor from 1980 to 1983. He was elected Mayor of Papakura in 1983, and held that position until 1992. He was succeeded by his brother David Hawkins. In 1989, Papakura City became Papakura District as part of the local government reforms. As mayor he advocated for a toll free telephone exchange between South Auckland and Auckland City.