Political Career
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1975–1978 | 38th | Wairarapa | National | |
| 1978–1981 | 39th | Wairarapa | National | |
| 1981–1984 | 40th | Wairarapa | National | |
In the 1975 general election, he was elected to Parliament as the National Party MP for the Wairarapa electorate, thus becoming (with Rex Austin) only the second and third Māori (after Sir James Carroll) to win a general electorate (as opposed to a Māori electorate).
He served as Minister of Māori Affairs and Minister of Police in the third National Government, but lost his seat in 1984 to Labour's Reg Boorman. While Minister of Police, he called for the birch to be introduced for violent offenders and allowed the police to use longer batons. He created some controversy by wearing a Springbok rugby team blazer at the time of their 1981 tour of New Zealand as well as attending a public meeting organised by the League of Rights. This despite his having been denied entry to South Africa as part of the All Blacks rugby team in the 1940s because of his race.
In the 1990s he was involved in various Māori organisations.
Read more about this topic: Ben Couch
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