Career
Whitaker was a local government politician in the Havelock North Bourough Council, serving as Mayor for Several terms before Local Government changes saw the dissolution of the council into larger District Council areas in 1989. He represented the electorate of Hastings in Parliament from 1990 to 1993, when he chose not to stand for re-election and returned to his prior occupation of pharmacist. He was born in Hamilton.
He is one of six one-term National MPs who were elected in a swing against Labour in the 1990 election.
Whitaker has stated that his time in sitting on Parliamentary Select Committees was mostly unproductive due to his belief that, "The bureaucrats tend to run everything and to penetrate the bureaucratic morass is nigh on impossible."
Since he was defeated at the 1993 Election Whitaker returned to Havelock North running a Post Office, vineyard and pharmacy.
