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Conor Roberts

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Jordan Carter

Media Release
12 March 2008
For immediate use

Labour selects young candidates for Rodney and Hunua

Labour Party members met last weekend to select two young candidates to stand in Auckland seats. Conor Roberts will stand in the Rodney electorate and Jordan Carter will stand in Hunua.

“The Labour Party is working hard to renew its policies, people and ideas and I’m proud to be part of that,” says Mr Roberts.

“This election will be about which party has the strongest track record of delivering for all New Zealanders and who has the best polices for the challenges of the future.”

Both candidates are young with Mr Roberts aged 27 and Mr Carter aged 29. The candidates are part of Labour’s next generation and are a sign of the party’s vitality and renewal in an important election year.

“We both bring new ways of looking at things and fresh perspectives,” says Mr Roberts.

“Labour has always been the party that looks toward the future and we’ll be listening to young people about the issues and concerns facing them,” says Mr Roberts.

“I want young people to become active and engaged in our democracy and I’ll be working to show them they can make a difference in the world.”

“Young people are interested in issues such as the quality and cost of their education, what kind of job they can get into, whether they’ll be able to buy their first home and the importance of creating a sustainable environment.”

“The Labour Party is the party of ideas and the party of Kiwi values. We’re working to secure a fairer, more equal and prosperous society for everyone,” says Mr Carter.

“At this election we’ll be reaching out particularly to under-40s to say that Labour is listening to your concerns and we’re working to make New Zealand a better place for you and your family.

“It’s fantastic to talk to younger voters about the positive policies that are making a difference in their lives. Labour’s no interest on student loans is helping graduates pay off their debts faster. Kiwisaver is helping thousands of young people save a deposit on their first home and put some money away for the future. There are over 377,000 more jobs in the economy since Labour was elected, meaning young people can find interesting, rewarding and meaningful work in this country. And Labour is tackling the issue of climate change to help ensure our world is a healthy, safe and sustainable place for future generations to live in.

“Labour has a number of young candidates at this election. This year we’ll all be listening to New Zealanders’ issues and concerns, and talking to them about their hopes for the future,” concluded Mr Carter.

ENDS

Attach: brief bios

Jordan Carter

Jordan Carter is a 29 year old Aucklander, who works for a Wellington-based NGO on ICT policy issues. He has been a member of the Labour Party for eleven years and holds a range of positions at local and national level. He is one of Labour’s out gay candidates in this year’s election, and grew up in South Auckland after being born in Vancouver, Canada.

Jordan’s main policy interests are in economic policy and economic development, and the challenge of building a truly sustainable economy and society that gives everyone a fair go in life. He is a first time candidate for the Labour Party in the Hunua electorate, and is seeking selection on the party’s list.

Conor Roberts

Conor Roberts is 27 years old and works as an account manager in a public relations firm. He grew up on the Kapiti Coast and moved to Auckland to study at the University of Auckland earning a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours in Political Studies.

Conor has been active in the Labour Party for a number of years and was president of Young Labour during the last election campaign. He is currently seeking a place on Labour’s party list and is a first time candidate for the Rodney electorate. He has worked as the co-president of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations and has been the student representative on the University of Auckland’s governing council.

Conor has wide policy interests including education, welfare, economic development, climate change and foreign affairs. He is interested in making democracy more relevant and engaging for young people and developing New Zealand’s constitution.

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