He entered Parliament in 1969 and first became a Cabinet Minister in 1973, in the term of the Third Labour Government 1972-75. He held the portfolios of Broadcasting and Post Office and later Housing and in 1982 he was Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry and associate Shadow Minister of Overseas Trade.
Sir Roger became Shadow Minister of Finance in 1983, and Minister of Finance from July 1984 when the Fourth Labour Government was voted into office. His period as Finance Minister saw major deregulation of New Zealand finance markets, the floating of the New Zealand dollar, the corporatisation of State trading departments and the adoption of privatisation policies, and dramatic reforms of the taxation system.
In 1985 he was awarded the Euromoney Magazine Award for Finance Minister of the Year. In 1996 he was awarded the Max Schmidheiny Freedom Prize in Switzerland for his contribution to the preservation and development of a free social and economic order, and in 1997 he was awarded the Ludwig Erhard Prize of Economic Journalism.
Since leaving Parliament in 1990, Roger Douglas has been the Managing Director of an international consulting firm, specialising in advice on economic restructuring and structural adjustment. He is a Director of Tasman Institute and founder member of ACT NZ. Director of Brierley Investments Ltd 1990-1999 (Chairman 1998), Director John Fairfax Holdings Ltd 1997-1998, Director Aetna Health (NZ) Ltd 1996-1999
He has done a considerable amount of work internationally, for The World Bank and private clients and countries visited include Brazil, Hungary, Canada, United States of America, Russia, Pakistan, Mexico, Austria, Fiji, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, China, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, The Netherlands, England, Sweden, Japan, Thailand and Peru.
His publications include:
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"There's Got to be a Better Way" (1981)
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"Toward Prosperity" (1987)
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"Unfinished Business” (1993)
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“Completing the Circle” (1996)
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