Background
Barry"s father was an accountant for the railways, and her mother was a florist. Barry was born in Wellington and went to Erskine College, a Roman Catholic school in Wellington.
Barry"s father was an accountant for the railways, and her mother was a florist. Barry was born in Wellington and went to Erskine College, a Roman Catholic school in Wellington.
Barry has had a long career in broadcasting, including gardening shows, and has a rose named after her. Both were strict Catholics. She was a radio and television presenter for over 30 years.
She began her broadcasting career in 1986 on National Radio"s Morning Report and moved on to Nine to Noon in 1990.
Her garden show, originally titled Palmers Garden Show but renamed to Maggie"s Garden Show, ran on television ONE from 1991 to 2003, with her as co-producer and presenter. Featured were ‘bug man’ Ruud Kleinpaste, gardening experts Bill Ward, Jack Hobbs, Gordon Collier and Professor Thomas William Walker ("John Walker").
She also produced several television documentaries. In the late 1990s she was a lay representative from the National Health Committee advising the Minister of Health, and was involved in reports on palliative care, cancer, and maternity services.
She was the Chair of the Board of the New Zealand Book Council in 2006.
She has been a patron for the Mary Potter Hospice, Alzheimer"s Wellington, and Hospice New Zealand. Barry has written for the New Zealand Listener since 2007, producing a fortnightly gardening column and occasional interview articles She hosted Radio Live Drive from March 2009 to December 2010.
Barry was interested in standing for the National Party in the 2011 Botany by-election, but did not become the candidate.
She was selected as the National candidate for the safe seat of North Shore in May 2011 after the sitting Member of Parliament Wayne Mapp decided not to run in the 2011 general election. Placed in number 57 on the National Party list, Barry was elected to Parliament by winning the electorate vote with an increased majority of 41.87% over her nearest rival, a Labour Party candidate.
She also increased the Party Vote to 62.16%, 45.9% clear of the Labour Party. During the election campaign Barry was spat at in Devonport, which appeared to shock her.
On 6 October 2014, Prime Minister John Key appointed Barry to the portfolios of Minister for Arts, Culture & Heritage, Minister of Conservation, and Minister for Senior Citizens.
She is ranked 20th in Cabinet.
In 1992 she was a news interviewer for TV2"s Counterpoint, and she was news presenter for Primetime in 1993.
Quotations: "came into the studio and they sat down and then he started to do the old wandering hands thing and she stood up and said "well you can stop that right now".".
She is a member of the National Party, and is Minister for Conservation, Seniors Citizens, and Arts, Culture and Heritage.