Steven Maharey CNZM (born 3 February 1953) is a New Zealand academic and former politician of the Labour Party.

[4] Maharey immediately became Labour's spokesperson for broadcasting and communications under Mike Moore.

[6] In 1994 he was promoted to a seat on the frontbench to replace Peter Dunne, who had quit the party.

The outburst was elicited when Maharey was questioned by Jonathan Coleman about the appropriateness of his actions as broadcasting minister threatening to complain to the Radio New Zealand board when he was displeased by a host Sean Plunket referring to a comment Maharey had made about the need for the Cambridge exam in Botswana as 'racist.

'[14] Maharey stood down from his ministerial roles in October 2007, pending his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Massey University.

[1][15] In the 2009 New Year Honours, Maharey was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a Member of Parliament.

[17] In 2022, Maharey was awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature degree by Massey University.

[21] In March 2023, Maharey attracted media attention after the Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes ruled that two of his op-ed columns published in the Sunday Star Times breached public servants' rules for impartiality.

[22] Maharey resigned from Pharmac and ACC on 1 December 2023 after the formation of a National-led coalition government following the 2023 New Zealand general election.