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Wyatt CreechWyatt Creech is a former New Zealand politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister in Jenny Shipley's National Party government from August 1998 to December 1999. Creech was born in Oceanside, California. His mother, a New Zealander, had met his father when he was part of a US Marine deployment passing through New Zealand in World War II. When Creech was a few months old, the family returned to New Zealand, settling in the Wairarapa. Creech was educated in Masterton, Wanganui, and at Massey University, where he obtained an agricultural qualification. He then travelled extensively overseas, visiting India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. He then returned to New Zealand and obtained a degree in political science from Victoria University of Wellington. He subsequently returned to the Wairarapa and established a vineyard. In the 1987 elections, Creech contested the Wairarapa seat for the National Party. On election night, Creech was defeated by the incumbent Labour Party MP, Reg Boorman, but Creech later challenged that result on the basis that Boorman had violated new laws about election spending. The Electoral Court approved Creech's petition, and he took his seat in 1988 with a majority of 34 votes. He was to remain MP for Wairarapa until the 1999 elections, when he stood aside from electorate politics and became a list MP. When the National Party won the 1990 elections, Creech was appointed to Cabinet, with his two main roles being Minister of Revenue and Minister of Customs. Later in his career, he held a number of other roles, including Minister of Education, Minister of Health, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, Minister of Employment, and Associate Minister of Finance. In December 1997, he was also elected deputy leader of the National Party. In August 1998, the coalition between the National Party and New Zealand First broke down, and New Zealand First's Winston Peters was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, appointed Creech to fill the vacancy. When National lost office, Creech remained the party's deputy leader until October 2001, when Jenny Shipley herself was deposed. He was replaced by Roger Sowry, a supporter of new leader Bill English. Creech did not stand for re-election in the 2002 elections. Creech, Wyatt Creech, Wyatt
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