Profiles
For most of his working life a sheep and beef farmer in South Canterbury, Mr Sutton became involved in farmer politics. Initially, like most farmers in those times, he aligned with the National Party. However, he became disillusioned with National when it refused to allow farmers in his area to set up a farmer-owned fertiliser company in competition with a company that had a regional monopoly.

He now represents South Canterbury as the local Member of Parliament, for the Labour Party.

Having been a farmer for 20 years, agriculture was an obvious initial area for Mr Sutton to specialise in when he entered Parliament in 1984. It was during this period that New Zealand made the radical decision to eliminate virtually all agricultural subsidies. He later became chairman of the finance and expenditure select committee, one of the New Zealand Parliament's most powerful select committees and in 1990, became agriculture minister.

The Labour government lost the November 1990 election, and Mr Sutton lost his seat. He was re-elected in 1993.

When the Labour Party become the Government again in November 1999, Mr Sutton picked up the trade negotiations portfolio as well as that of agriculture.

 Jim Sutton - New Zealand's minister of agriculture, rural affairs, biosecurity, forestry, and trade negotiations

One of his first duties was to attend the ultimately unsuccessful Seattle meeting of the World Trade Organisation.

It was an eye-opening experience.

Further WTO meetings at Doha, Cancun, and Geneva have given him an insight into the workings of the international trading system.

The most distorted markets in the international trading system are those for agricultural products, especially dairy products. Trade liberalisation is a key focus for the New Zealand Government, and Mr Sutton spends a significant part of each year out of New Zealand, working on this issue.

Trade issues are crucial for rural New Zealand, as more than 80 per cent of all products from primary industry are exported. Without access to international markets and only a small domestic market of about 4 million people to fall back on, New Zealand farmers have nowhere to sell their products.

During the past five years, Mr Sutton has helped facilitate producer board reform, so that industries such as the dairy industry and the meat and wool industry have been able to adapt to changing conditions.

In his somewhat limited spare time, Mr Sutton likes to walk and is searching for the perfect New Zealand red wine.