Priyanca jumps up Labour list

GOOD CHANCE: Carterton woman Priyanca Radhakrishnan has a chance of making it into Parliament after she was ranked as number 23 on the Labour Party list.

Carterton woman Priyanca Radhakrishnan has been placed at number 23 on the Labour Party list and it is quite feasible that she will make it into Parliament.

There are 21 existing electorate MPs as well as nine List MPs ahead of her on the list.

Therefore the Labour Party would need to poll at almost 32 per cent in September for Ms Radhakrishnan to make it into Parliament as the highest female newcomer on the list.

According to The Herald, the list has ensured that - assuming sitting electorate MPs ranked above them retain their seats - four of the first six MPs likely to get in on the list are women, which will meet the new requirement to have a caucus with at least 45 per cent women after the 2014 election.

They are Jacinda Ardern who is at 5, Sue Money at 10, Maryan Street at 15, and Moana Mackey, 17.

Ms Radhakrishnan lost out to Kieran McAnulty in the Labour campaign for the Wairarapa candidacy but is happy with her chances of making it into Parliament.

"I am honoured to have been ranked so highly on the list. I am proud to have the support of the Labour Party vote so that we can change the government at this year's election."

Ms Radhakrishnan has lived in Carterton for four years with her husband Ewan Richardson and works as a policy analyst at the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Wellington.

Specific skills she has which she believes will benefit the Labour Party include "critical thinking, an interest in grassroots politics and advocacy, fairness and collectivity". In Carterton she involves herself in community ventures "as much as she can" outside of her job in Wellington, which includes campaigning to stop family violence.

She has previously worked with Shakti Community Council Inc - a refuge organisation for women of Asian, African and Middle Eastern origin.

She was the organisation's Policy Development Coordinator, media spokesperson and has managed Shakti centres in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga.

If she gets to Parliament, her goal will be to specialise and work with ethnic communities. "It will be a privilege to be able to represent ethnic communities in Parliament and I look forward to working closely with individuals and organisations at a grassroots level to ensure that our communities have a voice at the highest decision making levels and that our contributions to New Zealand society are valued."