Ann Hartley

Margaret Ann Hartley QSO (née Thompson; 23 September 1942 – 20 December 2024) was a New Zealand politician.

In the early 1980s, she worked for the Mental Health Foundation and later managed the Child Abuse Prevention Centre.

Birkenhead along with several other councils attempted legal action in February 1989 to prevent the amalgamations, which they argued would not serve residents best interests.

After a months long campaign attempting to convince more councils to join the action eventually they decided to drop the case after receiving legal advice.

[8] She unsuccessfully contested the Birkenhead electorate in the 1993 election, coming second to National's Ian Revell.

[15][16] During her time on the Justice and Electoral Committee, she was involved in legislation related to victims' rights, as well as the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007, which amended the Crimes Act 1961 to remove "reasonable force" as a legal defence for parents accused of assaulting their children.

[18] She was replaced by former environment minister Marian Hobbs as Assistant Speaker[19] and by Louisa Wall as Labour list MP.

As part of the Auckland Council, she was involved with improving waterfront access in Takapuna and Mairangi Bay, by buying mansions that were converted into public parks.

Hartley in 1987, as the mayor of Birkenhead
Hartley (left) in 1990, as the mayor of North Shore City
Hartley (right), after her investiture as a Companion of the Queen's Service Order by the governor-general, Dame Cindy Kiro , at Government House, Auckland , on 28 May 2022