Penk for Helensville

The Herald reports:

A property lawyer and former naval officer has been chosen to fill former Prime Minister John Key’s big shoes in Helensville.

Christopher Penk was last night announced as National’s nomination for the safe seat, which has held by the party since It was established in 1978. …

The son of a law lecturer and a primary school teacher, he attended Kelston Boys High and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Auckland, where he later returned to get his law degree.

After his studies, he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy and later the Australian Navy.

His military career took him to the Pacific Islands, South East Asia and the Middle East, where he helped protect an Iraqi Government-owned oil rig in the Arabian Gulf as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007-08. He also worked as aide-de-camp to Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright.

Christopher served on board submarines in the Australian Navy, which must be one of the more challenging environments.

He is highly likely of course to become an MP, after the election.