Minister for Arts, Culture, and Heritage Christopher Finlayson of New Zealand

Shell Russia President Christopher Finlayson said the project was 80% completed.

Finlayson said Wednesday that shareholders were considering building an additional, fourth, gas liquefier at the plant, describing the project, implemented under a production-sharing agreement (PSA), as more difficult than any other.

Finlayson has been heavily involved in the arts community.

Finlayson was admitted to the Bar as a barrister and solicitor in February 1981.

Since his admission, Finlayson has appeared in all courts of New Zealand, including seven appearances before the Privy Council, including as counsel for the New Zealand Bar Association in Harley v McDonald 2 WLR 1749 and counsel for the British Government in Attorney-General for England and Wales v R (a decision of the Privy Council delivered on 17 March 2003.

Finlayson has had significant experience teaching in the Law Faculty of Victoria University of Wellington.

Finlayson is currently a Law Society representative on the High Court Rules Committee.

Finlayson is a co-author of McGechan on Procedure, the leading New Zealand text on the practice and procedure of the courts of New Zealand and was the founding editor of the Procedure Reports of New Zealand.

Finlayson joined the National Party in 1974, while still at St Patrick's College.

While he failed to win Mana, losing by a margin of 6,734 votes, the National Party polled well on party votes and Finlayson was elected via the party list.

Initially ranked 27 on the Party List, Finlayson was promoted to 18th in the first Caucus ranking after the 2005 General Election.

Following the election of John Key as Leader, Finlayson was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet and placed at 14th on the 2008 elections party list.

It is interesting to note what my most learned colleague Christopher Finlayson said about textbooks.

As Christopher Finlayson has said, this legislation is a result of a promise made by the Labour Party in its 1999 election manifesto.

Chris FinlaysonChristopher Finlayson is a barrister in practice in Wellington, specialising in private international and public law litigation.

Born 1955 Balclutha - New Zealand Christopher John Finlayson lives with his wife Nicola Kim in an old farmhouse in Golden Bay, a secluded district in the northwestern region of New Zealands southern island.

In recent years Finlayson has been working with youth and community groups on projects, mostly in the South Island.

Since he entered Parliament in 2005, Finlayson has risen rapidly through National ranks and had previously been National's shadow Attorney General.

Finlayson said during his Nov 19 swearing-in.

Regarding the NZ Herald piece: a bit politically correct dont you think for it not to mention that Finlayson is gay, when Finlayson is Nationals first openly gay Cabinet Minister and reportedly takes a strong position in favour of same-sex marriages.

Finlayson is certainly well qualified to be attorney-general, but his sexual orientation is of interest for this post.

Chris Finlayson is clearly a good and decent chap, and unlike the Grant Robertsons and Tim Barnetts of the world he is not on any kind of extremist crusade.

Of course this would not mean Finlayson was biased.

sigh* In a case of damned if you do etc.

wouldnt it have been politically correct to gratuitously throw his sexual orientation into a news story about his appointment as Attorney-General and Treaty Negotiations Minister? Is there some especially gay way Finlayson is going to do his job, that Michael Cullen didnt? And Id be very interested to know where you got the idea that he supports same-sex marriage when what little Ive heard him say on the subject would suggest the opposite.

An advocate for constitutional convention, Mr Finlayson says he has a pragmatic rather than an emotional view on republicanism.

Mr Finlayson is also likely to be involved in any review of electoral finance laws after his party repeals the Electoral Finance Act, although the exact plans are something the Cabinet will have to look at.

Chris Finlayson is the current spokesperson and has worked in the Treaty area professionally before he entered Parliament, and has good relations with many prominent Iwi leaders.

Thirty years after he first began to hanker for it, Christopher Finlayson has reached his goal of becoming "the most-sued person in the realm.

Mr Finlayson was then a student at law school and chairman of the Karori Young Nationals.

Yet while the front bench is prime real estate for most politicians with ambition, Mr Finlayson is more sanguine.

Although the details are yet to be sorted through, Mr Finlayson is also likely to have a role in the review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act - a law he has previously described as discriminatory and unfair - and of the Maori seats, promised under National's agreement with the Maori Party.

Chris Finlayson was born in Wellington in 1956.