Tackling inequality in the community
Rachel Boyack, 37, is the Labour candidate for Nelson.
I was born in Timaru and our family settled in Palmerston North.
I’ve lived in Nelson since 2009, when I married my husband Scott, who is a local.
I’m a provincial girl at heart and proud to call Nelson home.
Jacinda Ardern. I first met Jacinda in 2006 at a conference in Berlin, and was impressed with her values, heart for people and ability to communicate policy.
I am determined to represent Nelson in a Labour government under Jacinda’s leadership.
Sunshine. Great people.
Tough choice between Little India on Hardy St and Nahm on the waterfront.
I’m standing for Labour in Nelson because Nelson needs policies that will ensure our economy works for the whole community.
Our team have knocked on over 5000 doors, and people are telling me that inequality is a major issue in Nelson. Many working families struggle on Sunshine Wages and young people lack decent opportunities.
I’ve heard stories from people struggling to afford or access medical care and other health services.
Labour’s policies will make a real difference for the people of Nelson, specifically:
* Reducing GP visits for all New Zealanders by $10.
* Placing mental health nurses into every Secondary School and funding mental health coordinators in GP practices.
* Building affordable KiwiBuild homes for first home buyers, building more state houses, requiring all rental homes to be warm and dry and restoring capital grants for community housing organisations like the Nelson Tasman Housing Trust.
* Restoring our rivers and lakes to a truly swimmable state within a generation.
* Providing three years of free tertiary education (polytechnic, trades and university) for school leavers and working people who are retraining. The first free year will be introduced from 2018.
* Encouraging employers to hire young people, by providing wage subsidies and investing in apprenticeships.
* Restarting contributions to New Zealand’s superannuation fund (the ‘‘Cullen Fund’’), so that retirement income for future generations is secure.
All of our policies have been fully costed and independently assessed by economists. Labour will cancel National’s unaffordable tax cuts and reinvest in families, health and education.
As MP for Nelson in a Labour government, I will also champion an Innovation Hub at NMIT, work to end Sunshine Wages and convene a taskforce to more emergency housing options in our city.