Before entering Parliament Liz was public health doctor, whose job for over a decade was to monitor the health of New Zealand’s children and young people. In that time, she saw how years of chronic under-investment had played out in their lives. One in five children living in poverty, with thousands being hospitalized each year for poverty related diseases.
As a Southerner, Liz saw how this same under-investment was playing out in the region. Health services that were struggling due to a lack of funding; State Houses being sold off despite a shortage of emergency housing; and young people leaving the region in search of better jobs elsewhere.
Liz’s entry into politics stemmed from her belief that every child in NZ should have the best possible start in life, and that the Government had an active role to play in ensuring all New Zealanders could access the services they needed.
Liz is currently a member of the Health Select Committee and the Regulations Review Committee