Richard Worth

By Kate Chapman of NZPA

Wellington, June 12 NZPA - From the lofty highs of an unsanctioned camel ride National's Richard Worth has fallen into the midst of a police investigation which saw him today resign as a member of parliament.

Dr Worth first entered Parliament as the MP for Epsom in 1999. He won the seat again in 2002 but was toppled by Rodney Hide in 2005 and returned as a list MP.

Dr Worth stood again in the Epsom electorate last year but did not make any real effort on the campaign -- though both ACT and National denied making a deal to see Mr Hide safely win the seat.

Over the last 10 years Dr Worth has been a declining force in the National Party.

When he entered for National in 1999 he was a top lawyer, a partner and later chairman for Simpson Grierson, with experience in international affairs and business and a PhD from RMIT University in Melbourne.

He was the Consul for Columbia for six years and Monaco for eight. In addition, he is a former president of the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association and former chairman of the India Trade Group and Korea New Zealand Business Council.

Dr Worth, a former navy captain, was appointed an Officer of the British Empire (Military Division) and made a knight in the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem for his work with the order.

He was understood to have been promised the Speaker's job if National won in 2005. They lost. In 2008 he was appointed as a minister outside Cabinet.

Until recently he was Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Land Information, Minister Responsible for the National Library and Archives New Zealand and Associate Minister of Justice.

In 2002, Dr Worth garnered attention when he chose to take a camel ride, visit the pyramids, and shop at a market rather then attend a service to honour the Maori Battalion during an official trip to Egypt.

Soon after he returned to New Zealand he quit as a director of Prada America's Cup (NZ) Limited because of suggestions it was disloyal for an MP to be linked to a challenging syndicate.

He said at the time he became a Prada board member before the previous Cup, when he was not an MP.

More recently Dr Worth was in trouble after he went to India on a private visit and promoted an aviation company in which he held shares and a directorship.

He resigned the directorship and sold the shares.

It was also reported that a company Dr Worth held shares in had links with another company which was investigated by the Serious Fraud Office.

On June 3 Dr Worth resigned from his ministerial responsibilities.

It was seen as only a matter of time until he resigned completely following comments from the Prime Minister yesterday that he had wiped his hands of Dr Worth.

Dr Worth said he would now be focusing on his business activities and helping New Zealand win international trade.

Dr Worth and his wife, Lynne, have one adult daughter.

His profile on the National Party website lists his hobbies as mountain climbing, Bollywood films, Korean classical music and the early works of Sun Tzu.

He may have more time for these pursuits.