MEDIA RELEASE

Release date: Friday 25th July 2014

Announcement of New Zealand First Candidate for Rangitīkei

New Zealand First has endorsed Dr Romuald (‘Rom’) Rudzki as the candidate for the Rangitīkei Electorate in the 2014 General Election.

Rom is the Founder and current Director of the New Zealand School of Export. Born in Wellington (England) of Polish parents, he emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 2001 and is fortunate to both live and work in the Rangitīkei Electorate.

“I am delighted to have been chosen as the prospective candidate and wish to serve the people of this region and help make their lives better in many ways” says Rom.

“The Rangitīkei Electorate has taken a hammering over the last six years. Government has forgotten about rural New Zealand, selling off State assets and preferring to back foreign business such as the jaw-dropping deal given to Sky City and corporate bludgers including the extra $30 million given to the Bluff Smelter (which already gets the cheapest electricity in the country!) Meanwhile, the people of rural New Zealand face rising prices, cuts to local services, loss of jobs and the rapid erosion of our communities. It’s time to put New Zealanders first.”

“This decline has got to stop and New Zealand First’s common sense policies will ensure a fairer deal for all. My current job is all about building up New Zealand people, export businesses and creating local jobs.”

Rom is an unusual mix of many different ways of earning a crust. In later life he has set up his own successful businesses and in 1996 was the winner of the Financial Times David Thomas Award for his pioneering work in all forms of entrepreneurship. Earlier in life he worked in a variety of jobs including in a steel mill; on a factory assembly line; as a bakery warehouseman; labouring on building sites; as a college lecturer; an inner-city Youth & Community Worker; as the head of an international office; overseas economic development adviser; and as an unpaid elected trade union officer. His most recent role has been in establishing the New Zealand School of Export as a Charitable Trust which is his legacy and a way of saying thank you to the country that accepted him and his family. He is also an artist member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. Rom lives on a lifestyle block with his wife, young adult son, elderly father-in law and Welsh Border Collie.

ENDS

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