2020 GENERAL ELECTIONS - MEET THE SELWYN CANDIDATES In the interests of democracy and for the good of the local community, Rural Women NZ, Darfield branch will be holding its usual evening to Meet the Candidates for the general elec on on Thursday October 1st at the Darfield Recrea on Centre. “It takes a great deal of courage to put your name forward to represent your community and we would like to thank all the candidates for doing this,” commented Lorraine Sheen on behalf of Darfield Rural Women. “But effec ve representa on takes more than courage and this evening gives all voters a chance to assess the quality of the candidates standing,” she added. Rural Women members will be present from 7pm and they will be accep ng wri-en ques ons for the candidates to answer from that me on. Wri ng materials will be supplied. The mee ng will begin at 7:30 pm with short presenta ons from each of the confirmed seven candidates. “A2er this, our chairperson, Olive Webb, will put the wri-en ques ons to the candidates who will each have their turn to answer them,” Lorraine explained. If me allows a2er the wri-en ques ons, Darfield Rural Women will then accept ques ons from the floor. Supper will be served at the end of the evening, during which me people will have a chance to personally meet the candidates. “We hope that our usual good turnout of local people will come along in recogni on of the me and effort that the candidates are pu7ng in to this elec on,” Lorraine concluded.
CANDIDATES STANDING IN THE SELWYN ELECTORATE (in alphabetical order) • • • • • • •
Armstrong, Stuart Act Party Davidson, Reuben Labour Party Grigg, Nicola National Party Larason, Jerry NZPP/AdvanceNZ Party Lyell, Bronnie New Conservative O’Donnell, Abe Green Party Payne, Calvin Independent
ACT PARTY I'm the Act Party's Selwyn candidate Stuart Armstrong. I'm a New Zealand table tennis representative (Junior, Senior, and Veteran), and until cancer forced a career change, a healthcare sales manager. I believe in the importance of free speech and the inherent dignity of the individual. In the last two years I've campaigned relentlessly for David Seymour’s, End of Life Choice Act. This was underpinned by an in-depth interview with Newstalk ZB's Chris Lynch which I'm proud to say created an explosion of interest in this important issue. Chris picked up 55,000 plus Facebook views in the three days after the show aired. I have two adult children, and live near Lincoln with my wife Rebecca, and our seven horses, dog, two cats and a couple of Kune Kune pigs. I'm campaigning for the ‘Party vote’ for Act because Act offers a constructive and principled voice in New Zealand. Parliament needs voices that can be calm, intelligent, and fearless when it comes to tackling the big issues of public health, the economy, and jobs. My Selwyn community can look to Act for practical solutions to the ever increasing burden of debt this Government is piling up. Act’s five-point economic plan will reduce the high burden of debt facing the next generation of New Zealanders. Party vote Act to give yourself the chance to let us change your future. For further details - see Stuart’s advertisement in next week’s edition.
Stuart Armstrong, ACT PARTY www.act.org.nz
Stuart Armstrong, Act Party.
LABOUR PARTY I was born and raised in Canterbury, surrounded by a large loving family, and received an excellent educa on enabling me to work in a job I love. I’m proud to be your Labour candidate for Selwyn. For me, life is about working with and mo va ng diverse teams of people - pu7ng my heart into ge7ng the job done. I’ve worked my way up the ranks of television produc on in New Zealand, star ng with making coffee. I’ve produc on-managed shows for Television New Zealand and worked as a Creator and Series Producer for New Zealand’s largest children’s produc on company. Always with an eye to increasing opportuni es for business and jobs here in Canterbury. As an elected Community Board member for Banks Peninsula, which un l recently overlapped Selwyn, I have seen, and value, how much our local rural communi es contribute to the na onal economy and how they can be best served and supported. It would be my honour to serve you in Selwyn.
Reuben Davidson,
Reuben Davidson, Labour Party.
LABOUR PARTY www.labour.org.nz
NATIONAL PARTY I hail from a sheep and beef farm in Mt Somers and live in Prebbleton. I trained as a broadcast journalist and worked for Newstalk ZB and Radio New Zealand newsrooms around the country until 2014 when I moved to Wellington to work as a press secretary for both Simon Bridges and Rt Hon Sir Bill English under the last National government. More recently I’ve been working as a portfolio manager at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, managing the export growth of a wide range of Canterbury-based exporters, primarily in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. I love the great outdoors, care deeply about the sustainable conservation of New Zealand’s natural environment, and intend to be a strong advocate for our farming and agricultural sector. Now, more than ever, Selwyn needs strong, competent representatives who can cross the rural-urban boundary; who have the capability to lobby for projects that will rebuild our economy; put people back in jobs, fund our hospitals, build new schools and help families. As a candidate I am doing what I can across Selwyn to advocate for businesses, communities and families. I am so ambitious for Selwyn and for Canterbury - I truly believe that this region will lead New Zealand’s economic recovery - and I seek your support in ensuring that if I make it to Parliament later this year, I can help enable that. For further details - see Nicola’s advertisement in next week’s edition.
Nicola Grigg, NATIONAL PARTY www.national.org.nz
Nicola Grigg, National Party.
NZPP/ADVANCE NZ I and my wife Rebecca Larason come from solid farming backgrounds and have worked hard to succeed in other business ventures as well. I have been married for over fi2y years with two children and three grandchildren. We grew a local appliance repair business into a na onwide United States based, then interna onal, business and have lived in Selwyn for the past fi2een years. We came to New Zealand in 1992 simply to live in what we considered the best place on the planet. Now we want to help keep it that way! Selwyn you know what needs to be fixed! Let’s get back to government for the people, not on the people. I am now candidate for Selwyn for NZPP/AdvanceNZ. The New Zealand Public Party was formed by Billy Te Kahika to reclaim New Zealand for all the People; the main goal and message. However, this message is also more significant than any one poli cal party alone. Billy has engaged in talks with all the minor par es to get to learn more about them and their policies, in the hope that we will come together under one banner and one voice. The fragmen ng of the vote across many smaller par es does not help New Zealand. Unity in change is a good thing. The New Zealand Public Party has merged with AdvanceNZ; NZPP is s ll a party and will con nue as such, but for this 2020 elec on, you will need to party vote for AdvanceNZ. As a local Selwyn Candidate I am a no nonsense campaigner against government bureaucracies and overbearing ins tu ons. I have successfully challenged major insurance corpora ons, banks, government branches, and numerous companies for unfair/unethical prac ces, and helped many other folks do the same.
Jerry Larason, NZPP/ADVANCENZ www.advancenz.org.nz
Jerry Larason, NZPP/AdvanceNZ Party.
NEW CONSERVATIVE My name is Bronnie Lyell, and I am proud to be represen ng the New Conserva ve Party in the Selwyn Electorate for the 2020 elec on. I grew up in a small town in New Zealand, and enjoyed many adventures that rural New Zealand has to offer. I’m married with three wonderful adult children. With a nursing background, I retrained as a counsellor in 2008. I have worked to support many families and individuals through the challenges of life. I am keenly aware of the challenges that Kiwis face today, and have become increasingly concerned with the increased pressures on families, and the subsequent breakdown of families. I am passionate about suppor ng families, farmers, valuing people, protec ng free speech, and defending democracy. The decisions of this current Government have led to our most challenging environment since WW2. New Conserva ve’s policies offer real hope to New Zealanders from all walks of life. With income spli7ng, and the first $20,000 housing tax free, inves ng in housing, hospitals, and educa on. With strategies for economic recovery, and a belief that New Zealanders are great at overcoming obstacles in life with our good old ‘can do’ a7tude to life. I’m proud to be Kiwi.
Bronnie Lyell, NEW CONSERVATIVE PARTY www.newconserva,ve.org.nz
Bronnie Lyell, New Conservative Party.
GREEN PARTY I finished high school last year and am now studying towards a Bachelor of Law, and Bachelor of Arts, majoring in political science and international, minoring in nutrition, at the University of Canterbury. I am campaigning for the Party vote this election to help return the Green Party to government so we can reach an Aotearoa where everyone thrives, the climate is stable and nature is protected. Also, there are many jobs in our agriculture sector which are going to be impacted by the food revolution. To ensure jobs remain after this global consumer change, we need more Green MPs for the Government to support a transition away from animal food towards plant food production. Although I am not aiming to be elected this year, I aspire to become an MP one day. This is so that I can bring change which will see fewer people getting food-related chronic diseases, and a series of environmental and sustainability problems being mitigated.
Abe O 'Donnell, GREEN PARTY www.greens.org.nz
Abe O’Donnell, Green Party
INDEPENDENT ‘Know Payne - Know Gain’ I am Calvin Payne, the only Independent Candidate for Selwyn Electorate 2020 I moved to New Zealand thirteen years ago with my wife and three children. We have lived in and around Christchurch since then and were privileged to achieve ci zenship eight years ago. We have been living in Selwyn for the past six years on a lifestyle block breeding Full Blood Highland Ca-le and Heritage Pigs. I am enthusias c about the opportunity to be involved in the future recovery and development of our Selwyn Region. I have worked in the Construc on and Infrastructure industry for over thirty eight years. I have tutored on Construc on Management degrees for fi2een years in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. I currently run my own business providing services to Christchurch City Council Major Projects including Tūranga and Christchurch Town Hall. I am able to bring my experience and knowledge to support Selwyn to recover from the current global challenges. As an independent candidate I do not have to align with party polices and will work with all par es for the benefit of Selwyn. If you have an issue in Selwyn please give me a call, or send me an email and I will ac vely consider making it one of my policies!
Calvin Payne, INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE www.selwynlife.nz
INDEPENDENT Calvin Payne
Calvin Payne, Independent Party.