Labour candidate backs out of South Island electorate race, party forced to reselect
Labour’s candidate for the South Island seat of Selwyn, Nick Moody, has pulled out of the election race.
The party said Moody had withdrawn as a candidate to “maintain his focus” on his role as an Environment Canterbury regional councillor.
Dr Sunita Gautam, a lecturer at the Ara Institute of Canterbury and local community board member, will replace Moody as Labour’s candidate for Selwyn.
Gautam said she was a “unionist’s daughter” who had been raised with the values of solidarity, collective responsibility and standing up for others.
Gautam’s background includes a decade working in early childhood education, including managing two early childhood education businesses. She was elected member of the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board, as well as being a board member of Christchurch Resettlement Services and a trustee of Rose Historic Chapel.
The Labour Party has selected Dr Sunita Gautam as its candidate for the Selwyn electorate.
“I know what it means to build a life through hard work, opportunity and the support of a community. Selwyn is a diverse and growing electorate with incredible people, and I look forward to listening, connecting and working alongside residents.”
Moody was originally revealed as Labour’s Selwyn candidate in early May. At the time, he said he was “ready to campaign alongside the strong Labour team” and would be “pushing for pay equity for all sectors” if he had made it to Parliament.
“I’ve been dismayed by the current Government’s approach to workers’ pay and safety. As a PSA union delegate, I led industrial action at Environment Canterbury and helped secure their Living Wage accreditation,” Moody said.
“I’ve also worked supporting adults with disabilities – so I know how crucial and underpaid this kind of work is.”
Moody is the second candidate in a week to pull out of the election race. Last Thursday, former Labour MP turned NZ First candidate Stuart Nash resigned following controversial comments about his opponent in the Napier seat, Katie Nimon.
Nash accused Nimon, National’s Napier MP,of being “lazy” for taking maternity leave, which sparked prompt backlash from other MPs.
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