Employment lawyer Camilla Belich has been selected as the Labour Party candidate to contest the Epsom seat. Photo / Supplied
Employment lawyer Camilla Belich has been selected as the Labour Party candidate to contest the Epsom seat. Photo / Supplied
Employment lawyer Camilla Belich has been selected as the Labour Party candidate to contest the Epsom seat from Act leader David Seymour.
She's promised to run an "energetic campaign" and to help keep Labour in Government.
Belich, 37, returned from London four years ago where she won acclaim for her role in winning a high-profile case in the Court of Justice of the European Union about safe working hours.
She is currently a barrister and solicitor at the New Zealand Public Service Association union and was previously at the Council of Trade Unions after returning from London.
She is the granddaughter of former Wellington mayor Sir James Belich and the niece of renowned historian James Belich.
Belich and her husband Andrew Kirton, who was the Labour Party secretary before the 2017 election and was considered a prospective candidate for Parliament, are both seen as having great political potential.
Kirton stepped down from the party in 2018 to take up a job as head of government relations with Air New Zealand.
Camilla Belich's husband, Andrew Kirton, who was the Labour General Secretary and 2017 campaign manager. Photo / NZH
Belich said she was humbled to be selected to stand for Labour in Epsom, which she called a "fantastic part of Auckland and a great place to live, work and raise a family".
"Throughout my legal career I've stood up for people who need a voice and deserve better. I'll be running an energetic campaign and will be working hard to earn the support of local voters and help keep Labour in Government.
"Jacinda Ardern's Government has led a successful health response that sets us up for a strong economic recovery.
"We need a returned Labour Government to continue our economic plan and get New Zealand moving again," said Belich.
Camilla Belich, when she was with the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) in 2016, with Green Party MP Jan Logie to mark 123 years since New Zealand women won the right to vote. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Belich isn't expected to win the seat but is likely to get a winnable list position.
Act leader David Seymour holds the seat with a 5519 majority as National has stepped aside in the electorate in four consecutive elections to allow Act to gain seats in Parliament without meeting the 5 per cent party threshold.
In the latest 1NewsColmar Brunton poll, Act sat at 2.2 per cent.
Senior Labour minister David Parker stood for Labour in the seat in 2017 and won 7067 votes, to National's Paul Goldsmith's 10,986 and Seymour's 16,505.
Epidemiologist Dr Ayesha Verrall, who authored the key report into New Zealand's contact tracing abilities is also being considered for a Labour list position.
Verrall is the deputy chair of the Capital and Coast District Health Board.
