Education
McCully was educated at Arapohue Primary School, Dargaville High School, the University of Auckland, and Victoria University of Wellington. He has a Bachelor of Laws degree and is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor, working as a lawyer before entering politics.
Career
McCully first stood for Parliament in 1975 in Auckland Central, reducing Richard Prebble"s majority to 289. He next stood for East Coast Bays in 1984, coming second to Gary Knapp. But in 1987, McCully defeated Knapp, and entered Parliament as Member of Parliament for East Coast Bays on Auckland"s North Shore.
He became Member of Parliament for the new seat of Albany in the 1999 elections.
In the 2002 elections he returned as Member of Parliament for the reconstituted East Coast Bays seat. Cabinet minister
During the National government of 1990–1999, McCully served in a number of Cabinet roles, including those of Minister of Customs, Minister of Housing, Minister of Tourism, and Minister of Immigration.
He has a reputation as one of the National Party"s chief strategists. These questions culminated in a report of the Controller and Auditor General that deemed these payouts "unlawful," although the report accepted that all involved had proceeded on the basis of advice and "their genuine perception of what was in the best interests of New Zealand’s tourism industry."
After National winning the 2008 election, McCully was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister on 19 November 2008.
McCully was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister for Sport and Recreation, and Minister for the Rugby World Cup by Prime Minister John Key.
In November 2015 McCully was off work after surgery for removal of a growth that was found to be benign.
Membership
He is a member of the National Party, and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Murray McCully resigned from his Tourism portfolio in April 1999 after questions were raised regarding his handling of the resignation and subsequent payout of members of the Tourism board.