Chester Borrows, the ex-MP for Whanganui has died at the age of 65-years-old. Let’s see more details about Chester Borrows and his cause of death in detail.
How did Chester Borrows die?
In February 2023, Borrows’ daughter posted on Facebook that he had head and neck squamous-cell cancer and that his condition had worsened. He died in Hāwera on 27 February, at the age of 65.
Borrows spent 45 years in the justice sector, including as a police officer, lawyer, and member of the parole board.
I cannot express enough how grateful I and the rest of the family are for all the incredibly kind, thoughtful, funny, and supportive messages we have received over the last couple of days. His last moments were spent with his family around him, laughing and chatting. We’re convinced we heard him laugh along with us.
If you get the opportunity to put on The Gambler and raise a glass of red or whiskey to our boy, please do.
Cause of death
Borrows, 65, died on Monday morning after a Cancer Battle at his South Taranaki home, surrounded by his family. He had been receiving treatment for terminal head and neck squamous cell cancer.
Tributes are flowing for a man respected and loved throughout the Taranaki community, former MP, policeman, lawyer, and archdeacon Chester Borrows.
RIL My brother #ChesterBorrows Not a bad word came from his mouth, all peace and love to the whanau, moe mai ra chief, Okioki koe ki te taha a o Tupuna. Kia au to moe. We will definitely meet up one day, until then haere atu ra. pic.twitter.com/n2Vc888Ocs
— WestSide 8345 (@tauhenare) February 27, 2023
Who was Chester Borrows?
Kerry James “Chester” Borrows QSO was born on 20 June 1957. He was a New Zealand National Party politician who served as a Member of the New Zealand Parliament (MP) from 2005 to 2017. Chester worked as a police officer, including as a sole charge officer, and received a Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct for attempting to arrest an armed murderer.
He was raised in Nelson and was educated at Nayland College. Borrows joined the New Zealand Police and worked in Nelson, Wellington, and Auckland before becoming the sole charge officer in Patea. As a police constable, he received a Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct in 1978, for services in attempting to arrest an armed murderer. In 2002, Borrows graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington, and was admitted to the bar. He subsequently worked as a lawyer in Hāwera.
He first stood for Parliament in 1999 and was successfully elected in 2005. Borrows was a Minister outside Cabinet for three years and was Deputy Speaker also for three years. He did not run for Parliament in 2017. Borrows served as head of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group, tasked with helping reform New Zealand’s criminal justice system. He also served as an archdeacon in the Anglican Church.
Member of the Parliament- Chester Borrows
| Borrows joined the National Party in 1987, having previously been a Labour supporter. In the Whanganui electorate, Borrows first ran for office in the 1999 election, but he was unable to defeat Labour Party incumbent Jill Pettis. He wasn’t high enough on the party list, where he was ranked 45th, to be elected to parliament. Again failing to place high enough to be elected to parliament, Borrows sought office in Whanganui again in the 2002 election and finished 36th on the party list. In the 2005 election, Borrows defeated Pettis by 15,846 votes to 13,444 in the Whanganui electorate. In 2008, 2011, and 2014, Borrows would go on to win the popular vote. After the 2014 general election, Borrows took over as Deputy Speaker in place of Eric Roy, who had left the position and the House of Commons. By custom for departing Ministers, Borrows were given the title The Honourable for life. In 2017, Borrows split with his party to publicly denounce what he described as US President Donald Trump’s “discriminatory” policies and to reaffirm his support for Syrian and Muslim refugees. Borrows served on eight select committees during his term in office, including the Justice and Electoral Committee, which he chaired for three years. Borrows did not stand in the 2017 general election. According to Borrows in 2017, it was always his intention to serve only four terms. In the 2018 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services as a member of parliament. |
Borrows’ all relationships should be treated in the same way
At each of the three readings of the Marriage Amendment Act of 2013, Borrows cast a no vote. No matter a person’s gender, marriage was permitted under the bill in New Zealand. Also, he backed and voted in favor of proposals that would have permitted celebrants to decline to wed gay couples.
According to Borrows, “all relationships should be recognized in exactly the same way. Whether they are heterosexual weddings or civil unions between heterosexual couples or gay couples, or long-term de facto relationships between heterosexual couples or gay couples,” he stated in a speech to Parliament.
Borrows wrote an opinion piece in 2018. He wrote controversial comments about homosexuals by Australian rugby player Israel Folau. In that piece, Borrows said, “Regardless of their right to say what they really think, I wonder how reflective the comments were of the principles of Mr. Folau’s faith. I can’t see how it adds to the world for views to be expressed boldly and coldly in the way they were.
Career after Parliament
In 2018, Borrows was appointed head of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group. It is tasked with helping reform New Zealand’s criminal justice system. By June 2020 he was no longer in this role. As of 2021, Borrows was an archdeacon for the Anglican Church. His work included assisting with the restoration of St Mary’s Anglican Church in Hāwera. The building shut in 2016 as it was an earthquake risk.
Social Media Condolences
Melissa Lee MP Posted
Very saddened to learn of the passing of Chester Borrows, former Minister, Deputy Speaker, and National Member of Parliament. He was a committed representative for the people of South Taranaki and will be sorely missed by his friends, family, and former caucus colleagues.
“What does the Lord demand of you but that you love kindness, do justice, and walk humbly before your God.” It is for others to debate, or to pass judgment on, but I hope that I have lived up to that” (Valedictory Speech 2017).
Kimberley Anderson Posted
Such sad news. I did a course with him a few years back and was grateful to meet him. He went out of his way to get me brochures about the local area and followed up by encouraging us to visit when we were on our family holiday. A truly lovely, generous, and clever man.
Sarah Morris Posted
Oh, that is really sad news. I didn’t know him but I loved listening to what he had to say. He came across as smart, warm, and funny. What a life of service well lived.
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