STATEMENT: The Opportunities Party Hamilton West candidate, Donna Pokere Phillips

©Donna Pokere - Phillips

STATEMENT: The Opportunities Party Hamilton West candidate, Donna Pokere Phillips

Tenaa koutou katoa ngaa mihi nui kia koutou. My name is Donna Pokere-Phillips. I am a Taranaki girl born and bred and spent most of my life growing up there.

I was wooed by a handsome Tainui boy from Port Waikato at the young age of 15. Now 38 years on, we have 5 children and the beginning of the next generation under our wing. Hamilton Waikato has been our family base for almost 20 years. It is the place we call home.

After having my children, I gained a Master of Laws postgraduate degree at the University of Waikato and then took on senior positions with Waikato Regional Council.

I have been inspired by visionary and compassionate leadership, admiring those who have shown courage and integrity when a situation requires them to rise up for injustices against society and the environment.

I can no longer sit on the sideline and watch children and their families being slowly ground down into poverty and homelessness where basic food and medication can longer be taken for granted. I can not standby and watch the relentless greed that has put pressure on our resources and threatened, and in some cases destroyed, our environment.

I’m standing for The Opportunities Party to achieve real change for the many struggling kiwis we are all aware of. I CARE.

This is not the country we all inherited and it should NOT be the country we pass on to the next generation.

I'm not from 'easy street' and anyone who knows me will tell you that I work hard for real solutions.

I set up an employee advocacy service, I took on research and tertiary-level teaching work and I devoted my time to spearheading the initial phase of what is now being referred to as the Parihaka reconciliation claim.

I joined The Opportunities Party because I know their policies will make a difference to many of us.

The Opportunities Party’s core policies will honour the Treaty, protect human rights, protect the environment, reduce poverty, realign the housing market, establish a fairer tax system and establish an unconditional basic income for young families and young people.

I believe with your support we can make a difference for all our communities and build a country we can again be proud of.

Throughout my life, my aspirations have remained intact. I'm a straight shooter with an eye on the big picture and a heart for a fairer today and tomorrow.

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