Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Green Party selects award-winning journalist and editor as candidate for Waikato

The Waikato branch of the Green Party has selected Philippa Stevenson as Waikato
candidate for the 2017 general election.

An award-winning journalist and former agricultural editor of the Waikato Times and NZ Herald, Ms Stevenson has lived in the Waikato all her life, the last 28 years in rural Tamahere, in the south of the electorate.

“I love the Waikato. I am thrilled and humbled to be selected to stand for a region that is such a vital part of New Zealand,” Ms Stevenson said.

A former president of the NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists, Stevenson reported agricultural and environmental issues for more than 30 years, including an investigation of the dairy industry dubbed Powdergate for the NZ Herald, and, earlier, an investigation into the legacy of decades of use in the timber industry of the toxic, anti-sapstain chemical pentachlorophenol (PCP).

For the past nine years, Ms Stevenson has edited the community website, Tamahere Forum, which she founded to keep her community informed on issues ranging from the aftermath of the fatal Icepak Coolstores fire of 2008 to the impact of Waikato Expressway construction.

Waikato, a large electorate, from Tuakau in the north, Matamata to the east, around Hamilton’s east and to Cambridge’s northern boundary, is known for its agricultural base.

“Farming is important to the local and national economy. The big question for the Waikato is what its farms will look like in the future,” Ms Stevenson said.

“Farmers’ ability to quickly adopt new ideas and technology when they can see the benefits is impressive.

“Clearly, now that decades of some past practices have been shown to have a detrimental effect on the environment and long term prosperity we must continue to look at what we can do differently to ensure our rural economy is sustainable for the future. We owe it to succeeding generations.

“I’m looking forward to having discussions with Waikato people about how the green Waikato can be greener still.”

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