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SIMON O’CONNOR/Stuff
Former National MP for Whanganui Chester Borrows died on Monday in Taranaki.
A man who spent his working life working for justice and trying to improve a “broken” system, has died.
The family of South Taranaki man and former MP, policeman and lawyer and archdeacon Chester Borrows had gathered at his bedside on Sunday after his health deteriorated suddenly.
Borrows, 65, had been receiving treatment for terminal head and neck squamous cell cancer, but on Sunday his daughter, Abi Borrows, posted on Facebook that “we have been given instructions to assemble the family”.
“While we are of course all devastated, heartbroken, numb, we are grateful for everybody’s support and that we are together to rally around the OG, GOCB.
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“Alofa nui, arohanui, much love to all.”
A Givealittle page was set up in February to raise money to help pay for unfunded drug treatment. It raised $10,000 within two days rising to nearly $40,000 in 27 days.
But on Monday, David Bennett posted on the Givealittle page that the treatment had been stopped as it was not working.
“Chester is now seriously ill, and the prognosis is sadly bad,” Bennett wrote.
“I will try to keep you all updated in future days, but your support has allowed all his family to return home to be with him now.”
ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff
Abi Borrows and Chester Borrows outside the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct for Abi’s admittance to the bar.
Dozens of comments on Abi Borrows’ post praised her father and his work, and offered condolences and support.
Borrows spent 45 years in the justice sector, including as a police officer, lawyer and member of the parole board.
He was Minister for the courts in John Key’s National government.
He ended 12 years as National MP for Whanganui in 2017, then went on to chair the Safe and Effective Justice Programme Advisory Group/ Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora, into New Zealand’s justice system, – a system he said was well and truly broken.
He was a member of the parole board and also took on the role of Archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of South Taranaki, until last year.
In July 2021, he admitted his daughter, Abi Borrows, to the bar as a lawyer.
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