Meet Sarah
Sarah was honoured to be elected in 2020 to serve as the Member of Parliament for Ilam. Sarah lives in the Ilam electorate with her husband, Andy.
She moved to Christchurch in 2004 and before being elected as the MP for Ilam she worked as a midwifery lecturer at Ara Institute of Technology, having previously worked as a community midwife.
Sarah has a strong sense of social justice, and is dedicated to ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, or background. Sarah brings a positive attitude, an ethic of hard work, and boundless energy and enthusiasm to be a strong voice at a national level for the people of Ilam.
Sarah’s experience as a midwife includes working both at Christchurch Women’s Hospital and as a rural midwife. She served for three years as the President of the majority union of academic staff at Ara, a hands-on role underpinned by her ability to find productive solutions to a wide range of workplace issues, as well as successfully leading employment negotiations. Working in education and health care, and constructively liaising with senior managers, Sarah is uniquely placed to understand the opportunities and challenges of both areas.
Before entering Parliament, Sarah was Chair of Labour Women's Council and was the co-founder of the Canterbury Women's branch of the Labour Party.
Currently, Sarah sits on the Health Select Committee, the Petitions Committee, and is the Chair of Labour Wāhine Caucus.
She is a member of the New Zealand Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development, and the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians New Zealand Group.
Sarah also belongs to the Health, Wellbeing, and Social Services Caucus Committee, the Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Trade Caucus Committee, and sits on the Parliamentary Service Commission Artworks Sub Committee.