Steph Lewis has been re-selected as Whanganui's Labour Party candidate going into the 2020 election. Photo / Bevan Conley.
Steph Lewis has been re-selected as Whanganui's Labour Party candidate going into the 2020 election. Photo / Bevan Conley.
The Labour Party has re-selected Steph Lewis to contest the Whanganui seat at next year's general election and the second-time candidate says she feels like she has unfinished business.
Lewis beat out Tim Easton when the Whanganui Labour electorate committee met on Saturday to select a candidate for the electorateit hasn't held since 2005.
Lewis first ran in 2017, losing out to National's Harete Hipango, but cutting the margin National had in the seat under former MP Chester Borrows.
Lewis said she was very proud of the campaign run in 2017.
"This time that means we need to swing 900 votes to win the seat which is more than doable," she said.
Shortly after the 2017 election, Lewis was elected to Labour Party Policy Council for a three-year term which involves working with the council to review and develop new policies for the party.
As part of her role on the council, she has chaired the economic development committee.
She has also taken on the role of motherhood, which she said has been quite an eye-opening experience with her daughter, now 18 months old.
Steph Lewis, left, was beaten by National's Harete Hipango, right in the 2017 General Election.
"I believe that this is a winnable seat for Labour, we certainly proved that last election and now with the backing of the mandate from the local party members I intend to work really hard to make that happen this time."
Housing and access to healthcare will be key issues that she will be focusing on.
"Since 2015 house prices have gone up by 60 per cent in Whanganui and in South Taranaki by 34per cent and in Stratford, by 42 per cent and over the last two censuses the population has grown by 4500 at the same time we've only built 850 houses here so we have a deficit."
With a growing population, she also wants to make sure creating more jobs will be a focus.
Lewis said she had the support of Easton and that he would be an asset to the campaign.
Lewis is currently based in Wellington with her husband working for a senior government minister.
Looking towards the future, Lewis can first focus on the party's annual conference that is to be held in Whanganui from November 29 to December 1.
The conference is only open to Labour Party members, and about 600 are expected. The main venue will be the Whanganui War Memorial Centre, with smaller meeting rooms for special interest groups to use on November 29.
Whanganui & Partners worked with Labour's head office to organise the conference, and last year estimated it would bring an extra $500,000 into Whanganui.
Lewis said she is very excited to be showing off New Zealand's most beautiful city to other members.
