Family Party Announces New Candidates
The Family Party is pleased to announce the following candidates in the lead up to the 2008 General Election. Further
candidates will be announced in due course.
Dr Michael Kidd, Waitakere:
Michael Kidd is an International Human Rights lawyer including Australia and Fiji. In Australia he worked with
indigenous people and for the last six years, back in NZ, has practiced in the domestic violence and drug related area
in the Auckland Courts. Also the International Commission of Jurists observer for the Zaoui case. He is married to an
ethnic Fijian and has young children, also father to a disabled child, and is passionate about children and families.
The Kidd’s attend the Salvation Army Church.
Melanie Taylor, Northland:
Melanie is a Specialist Caregiver for CYFS and has an intricate working knowledge of social policy based on a background
in foster home care for Youth Justice and Care & Protection teenagers. Melanie is married with three children and is a member of Lifeways Church.
Samuel Dennis, Selwyn:
Samuel has lived in Selwyn for most of his life, attending Glenroy primary school and Darfield high school, where he was
Proxime Accessit to the Dux in his final year. He has a First Class Honours degree in Agricultural Science from Lincoln
University, and is currently completing his PhD in Soil Science there. He is married with one child and attends Victoria
Street Chapel in Glentunnel.
Louise Cleary, North Shore:
Of South African descent, Louise attended Westlake Girls High School where she was Deputy Head Girl in her seventh form
year. Louise has a bachelor’s degree majoring in Marketing and Information Management from the University of Auckland
and presently works as a Marketing Specialist. Louise is married, lives on the North Shore and attends City Impact
Church.
“We are privileged and very excited to have this calibre of candidate coming through to represent the urgent cause of
putting families first in parliament. I look forward to making further candidate announcements in due course,” says
party president Elias Kanaris.
The candidates add to the current Family Party line-up of Leader Richard Lewis in Manukau East, Deputy Leader Paul Adams
in East Coast Bays, and Galumalemana Jerry Filipaina in Mangere. The party recently added Albert Ruijne to their Board,
who was an original founding Board member of the Christian Heritage Party.
ENDS