[1] In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to shearing and the wool industry.
King was also appointed to the NZ Meat Board in 2000 representing the Northern South Island farmers for two terms before entering parliament in 2005.
He won the Kaikoura electorate receiving 17,755 votes, a margin of 4,675 over the second placed candidate Brendon Burns and entered Parliament.
Since leaving Parliament, King has been maintaining a low profile but is now working as a consultant in the primary industries and tertiary education sectors.
[7] King contested the mayoralty of the Marlborough District Council at the 2016 New Zealand local elections,[8][9] but lost to Blenheim ward councillor John Leggett.