CHOUDHARY, Dr. Ashraf
List member of Parliament, LABOUR

Current Parliamentary Roles
Member of Education and Science Committee
Deputy Chairperson, Primary Production Committee 10 November 2005-

Former Parliamentary Roles
Member of Primary Production Select Committee 2002-March 2003
Chairperson, Education and State Sector Caucus Committee -August 2004
Member of Local Government and Environment Committee - 11 August 2005

Personal Details
Born 15 February 1949, New Zealand’s first South Asian and Muslim MP

Education/Qualifications
BSc Ag Eng
MSc Ag Eng (University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) 1974-1975
PhD in Agricultural Engineering (Massey University) 1976-1979

Career
Teaching and researching at Massey University from 1976-2002
Associate Professor specialising in agricultural engineering and an international authority on conservation tillage technology, prior to becoming an MP.

Community Activities
Past President, NZ Federation of Ethnic Councils
Past President and Founding Member of the Ethnic Council of Manawatu
Former Chairperson, Manawatu-Wanganui Mid-Central Health Ethics Committee
Former Member, Ministerial Advisory Group on Immigration
Honoured with QSO in 2001 for community services
Justice of the Peace

Party Activities
Past Chairperson, Palmerston North Labour Party

Leisure Activities
Social cricket and badminton, walking, gardening

From http://www.ps.parliament.govt.nz/mp160.htm