Welcome to the first of a series of articles we intend to bring to you in the run-up to the General Election on September 23.
Today we profile all the local candidates contesting the seats in our Pakuranga electorate.
- Simeon Brown – National Party candidate for Pakuranga
Simeon Brown is the National Party candidate for Pakuranga. He says he is proud to call himself an Aucklander, having lived here since he moved from Rotorua where he was born. He married his wife Rebecca in 2016 and together they bought their first home last year.
Mr Brown graduated from Auckland University with a degree in Law and Commerce. Since graduating he has worked in commercial banking for a major New Zealand Bank based in Highbrook. He also has a background in local government, and experience working for constituents and delivering results.
Mr Brown says he would be honoured to be Pakuranga’s voice in Parliament.
- Carrie Stoddart-Smith – Maori Party candidate for Pakuranga
Carrie Stoddart-Smith (BA, LLB, LLM (Hons)) currently works as a Business Analyst in the Maori Development sector. She previously worked in a Senior Policy role where she commuted weekly to Wellington from her home in Eastern Beach, where she lives with her husband and their three children.
In building on her law and policy experience, and having successfully project managed Ministerial-led Trade Missions to Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, Ms Smith considers achieving prosperity with equity will emerge through “Connecting Culture, Commerce and Community”.
She is seeking the electorate and party vote in Pakuranga as a resident member of the community.
- Guy Hunt – Green Party candidate for Pakuranga
Guy Hunt is a businessman and an advocate for sustainability. Over the past 12 years he has spent time working in both New Zealand and the UK in a number of industries. He is a Chartered Accountant working as CFO at a large retailer.
Mr Hunt says, “long term change is needed and I am the person to drive it.”
He says both he and the Green Party have a vision for Pakuranga and Botany for the future while retaining the suburbs heritage. He says that includes better transport through light rail and public transport, better crime prevention, more affordable housing, tackling poverty and “the biggest threat to us, climate change.”
- Barry Kirker – Labour Party candidate for Pakuranga
Barry Kirker is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice. He was Labour’s candidate in the 2014 election, being a Pakuranga local for a number of years.Mr Kirker is running on a platform of improving access to health (particularly mental health) and specialist education services, as well as on increased opportunities for people to have the security of owning their own home, and people working for wages they can live off or small business prosperity. Mr Kirker is married with one child. In his spare time he is involved in local sporting clubs including coaching his daughter’s football team.
