Mt Albert Labour selection

lprent
1 year ago
Categories: labour, mt albert, Politics
Tags: camilla belich, helen clark, helen white, jacinda ardern

The candidates for the Mt Albert Labour selection to replace Jacinda Ardern are Helen White MP and Camilla Belich MP. The selection meeting is on Saturday 11th March at 10am in the Western Springs School Hall. All Labour Party members who are currently financial, including recently joined members, and all members of affiliated unions can attend the selection meeting.

As a Mt Albert member, I’m kind of surprised about that last statement. I would have thought it was restricted to members in Mt Albert. But I haven’t looked that up for a while.

If you want to vote, the advice that you should bring

your current Labour Party or affiliated union membership card, or a valid receipt if you have just joined; and
if you are not on the electoral roll, have recently enrolled, or have changed rolls, a copy of your voter enrolment form.

No proxy votes are allowed. You have to be present at the meeting to vote. But the meetings are usually interesting.

The candidates are Helen White MP (flyer pdf) , and Camilla Belich MP (flyer pdf). Both are excellent candidates – and currently sharing an list MPs office just along Ponsonby Road from me. Both had lives prior to Parliament as employment lawyers amongst other things.

There will be opportunities to meet / listen to candidates beforehand. The LEC has

Mt Albert / Owairaka is a rather special electorate for Labour. Since I grew up there to Sandringham after my parents moved from Ponsonby in the early 1960s, it has produced two prime ministers – Helen Clark and Jacinda Ardern, a leader of the opposition – David Shearer. Warren Freer held it between 1947 and 1981 and was a government minister (and acting prime minister) in several governments. Plus, of course, previously Michael Joseph Savage represented the Auckland West electorate that Mt Albert electorate was formed out of.

For me – I’m almost certain to vote for Helen White. Off and on, I’ve known her for decades since she volunteered in Mt Albert the first time in the early 90s, worked with her, and supported her political efforts in Auckland Central. She knows the Mt Albert electorate which is important in being a successful candidate and MP in this electorate, especially when it comes to running the kind of electorate campaigns required to keep the electorate voting Labour.

Camilla Belich for me is far more of an unknown in terms of Mt Albert electorate.

However, the LEC and some of the branches are organising to make both better known.

SAVE THE DATE!

The LEC and Branches of the LEC are busily trying to organise as many opportunities prior to this date for you to have all the information you would like.

We have had some requests to bring the candidates together for you. The LEC has decided that we will make this happen!

We will be hosting an LEC event on Saturday 4th March at 5pm. This will be at the Grey Lynn RSC. Details will come out later today.

I’ll try to remember to leave comments about these events.