Alliance Party media release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25 March 2005

Alliance Party Dunedin candidates are made of the "write stuff".

The Alliance Party has selected its electorate candidates for Dunedin North and Dunedin South seats for the 2005 General Election.

Both the candidates are Dunedin writers and journalists.

The Dunedin South candidate is self-employed writer Chris Ford (34).

Chris is the Alliance Party Disabilities spokesperson, and is active within both the local disability and wider community.

Chris previously stood as a NewLabour party candidate for the former Clutha electorate in 1990.

He is a graduate of Otago University (BA Political Studies and Postgraduate Diploma in Arts) and operates a small business providing writing and journalism services to customers throughout New Zealand and the world.

The Alliance Party Dunedin North candidate is Maritime Union communications manager Victor Billot (32).

Victor is a longstanding Alliance Party activist who grew up in Dunedin and lived overseas before returning in 1999 in order to help on the election campaign to get rid of the then National Government.

He is a graduate of Otago University (BA Political Studies) and Massey University (Graduate Diploma in Journalism).

He is a former editor of the Otago student newspaper Critic, and has also worked for the Waterfront Workers Union (now Maritime Union) in their campaign against job casualization.

He is also the co-director of a Dunedin communications company that promotes events and businesses throughout New Zealand.

The Alliance Party has historically had strong support in Dunedin, a city with a strong social conscience and left wing voting population who identify with Alliance policies such as good quality and free health and education, secure jobs and an end to poverty and insecurity.

The two Dunedin electorates have received some of the highest number of Alliance Party votes in New Zealand over the last several elections.

The Alliance Party list will be announced in May and is likely to include a number of Dunedin and Otago candidates.

ENDS

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