Other Information
Laws has written three books which have sold well - all featured in Booksellers New Zealand's "Top Ten" fortnightly surveys. The first, The Demon Profession, released in August 1998, comprised a political memoir that Laws characterised as an inside view into the real workings of politics. The following year he released a mystery novel entitled Dancing With Beelzebub. His third book, Gladiator - the Norm Hewitt story, became the New Zealand No 1 bestseller over Christmas/New Year 2001 and sold over 35,000 copies.
Laws hosts a nation-wide morning talk radio show on Radio Live, has hosted his own weekly rugby media show on SKY Network Television from 2004 to July 2009, and writes a weekly column for The Sunday Star-Times newspaper which won him the Charles Southwell Prize in 2003. He has also appeared on various "celebrity" and "reality television" shows.
In June 2008, the New Zealand Police prosecuted Michael Laws for contempt of court in relation to a breach of a suppression order on his Radio Live talkback show in December 2006. The Court discharged him without conviction. In January 2009, the Broadcasting Standards Authority rejected a complaint from Children's Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro relating to alleged unfair criticism by Laws. He has repeatedly derided the commissioner as "the worst public servant in the country." Kiro resigned in March 2009.
Michael Laws has five children - two from previous relationships: James (born 1978) and Rachel (born 1979). He has three children with his partner, Leonie Brookhammer - Lucy (born 2004), Zoe (born 2006) and Theodore (born 2008). They separated in March 2009, attempted reconciliation, but separated again in December 2009.
In April 2007 Television New Zealand selected Laws to participate in the television series Dancing with the Stars with dance-partner Lauren de Boeck. Prior to the competition he broke a bone in his foot while practicing, but vowed to continue, saying that Wanganui would benefit from the nationwide coverage. In his Sunday Star-Times column he classed himself as "a dancing duffer", and he did not survive the third episode of the competition.
In February 2008, doctors diagnosed leukemia in Laws' 3-year-old daughter Lucy; they gave her a poor prognosis due to other infections. However she survived that initial scare and Laws' mayoral website provides weekly updates as to her health. She was readmitted to hospital in March 2009 and spent 22 days overcoming viral infections. Laws has spent time in both 2008 and 2009 on leave from his mayoral duties because of his daughter's health.
TV3's 'Nightline' programme named Laws as its 'Person of the Year' for 2009. He has twice been a finalist in the NZ Radio Awards for 'best talkback host' in 2010 and 2011.
In August 2011 it was announced that he will fight high profile Maori activist Ken Mair in a charity boxing contest on 3 December to raise funds for victims of the Christchurch earthquake. Laws broke a bone in his right hand in his first sparring bout but has pledged to still meet the charity boxing obligation.
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