Monina Hernandez has been selected to contest East Coast Bays for the Labour Party in the 2020 general election.

“I am an infection control nurse specialist and have been an advocate for the general public and health workers during the Covid 19 crisis,” Ms Hernandez says.

“I’m proud to be putting my name forward to be a strong voice for local people in Jacinda Ardern’s government.

“Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, we’ve had a strong health response that sets our economy up for a strong recovery. We’ve led the world in tackling COVID-19 and now our economic plan will get our economy moving again while creating new jobs.

Ms Hernandez says she brings a particular focus on population health and support for overseas born workers who have sustained our health system over the recent COVID 19 health crisis. Approximately 29% of the 58,000 registered and practising nurses in New Zealand are migrant nurses.

“New Zealand's health workforce relies on migrant labour. As both a Filipino and a New Zealand nurse, I want to represent this often-forgotten workforce, nurses, other frontline healthcare workers and women generally,” said Hernandez.

“Nurses and health workers born overseas have been on the frontline, testing for COVID19 and staffing our rest homes caring for vulnerable older New Zealanders. I have been advocating for their health and want to bring my frontline knowledge to parliament.”

“Jacinda Ardern has displayed her leadership and competence in keeping the public safe throughout the Covid 19 pandemic. Her team prioritises the health and wellbeing of our communities, setting us up for a faster economic recovery and I would be honoured to be a part of it.”

Bio

Monina Hernandez is president of the Filipino Nurses Association of New Zealand, an author, researcher, lecturer and doctoral student at Massey University. She is a member of the Nursing Council of New Zealand, the governing board of the NZ nursing profession and served as an elected director of the nurses’ union NZNO. She has 28 years of nursing and midwifery experience and a wide breadth of governance and health experience.

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