NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY

Media Advisory

11 November 2019

Rachel Boyack was confirmed as the Labour Party candidate for Nelson for the 2020 General Election at a meeting of Party members held in Nelson tonight

“I’m honoured to have been selected again as Labour’s candidate in Nelson, and look forward to working hard to earn the trust of Nelson voters as their representative in Parliament in 2020.

“New Zealand is heading in the right direction under Jacinda Ardern's leadership. We have a strong economy with low unemployment and the highest wage growth in a decade. We have a rising surplus and are paying down debt while making record investments in health, education, housing and Police,” Rachel says.

Her priorities for Nelson are:

· Affordable housing for first-home buyers and families,

· Working to end “Sunshine Wages” in the region,

· Improving Mental Health services,

· Better public transport,

· Preserving our environment; and

· Working closely with our two Councils to address Climate Change.

“I want Nelson to be a place of opportunity so that our young people can see a future in the region for them and their families.

“This means decent, affordable, housing and rewarding and satisfying work in a region that has so much to offer.

“It means protecting our beautiful environment to maintain and preserve it for future generations.

“And it means working to prevent family violence and supporting families to have decent incomes and opportunities.”

Rachel is active in the electorate as a community leader and was the 2017 Labour candidate for Nelson.

She lives in Nelson with her husband Scott, and works as a Health and Safety Coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of Nelson. In her previous role as an Organiser with FIRST Union, she negotiated collective employment agreements with large companies like Nelson Pine, lifting wages for hundreds of workers. In her spare time, Rachel volunteers on the Boards of Nelson Women's and Children's Refuge and the Nelson Environment Centre. She is Chair of Labour's Policy Council. A trained singer, she has a Music Degree from the University of Auckland and was a member of the New Zealand Youth Choir.

Labour won the Party Vote in Nelson in the 2017 Election, with 41.4 per cent of the vote, which was one of the largest swings to Labour in the country, apart from the Maori seats. Rachel Boyack reduced Nick Smith’s majority in 2017 by 3322 votes.

ENDS

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