The Labour Party has made a positive move in securing its future by selecting former Kāpiti Coast District Councillor Sophie Handford as its candidate for the new Kāpiti electorate in next year’s general election.
The Kāpiti Electorate extends from Ōtaki in the north up to the border of the new Kenepuru electorate in Porirua.
Handford first came to national prominence when leading a nationwide Climate protest while still a student at Kāpiti College.
“I’m really proud to be standing for Labour here at home. Kāpiti has shaped me. It’s where I learned the value of community and looking out for one another. I want our electorate to have an MP who is present, listens, and focuses on what really matters to people, says Handford who was elected as one of new Zealand’s youngest ever Councillors at age 18 and has always looked well suited to higher office.
“We can build a future where the economy works for everyone, now and in years to come. We can take real pressure off the cost of living, make it easier to get in to see a doctor, and back good jobs that give people a future here in New Zealand. We can look after our people, and papatūānuku. That’s the direction I want us to head in.
“Kāpiti is full of people who care deeply about this place. I’ll be out talking with as many locals as I can, hearing what’s working, what’s not, and where we can do better.
“Building on my experiences in campaigning and local government, I look forward to being the voice for Kāpiti in Parliament,” says Handford.
Handford was raised in Paekākāriki and now lives in Waikanae. She served two terms on the Kāpiti Coast District Council representing the Paekākāriki–Raumati Ward. Before getting involved in local government, she founded School Strike for Climate NZ and helped organise one of the biggest protests in recent New Zealand history, bringing over one hundred and fifty thousand people together across the country. On Council, she chaired the Strategy, Operations and Finance Committee and worked alongside local groups on environmental restoration, housing challenges, community initiatives and decarbonising the district.
