Labour Selects Rangitata Candidate

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Mon Dec 17 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Labour Selects Rangitata Candidate

Monday, 17 December 2007, 11:17 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Blanchard selected as Labour Party Candidate for Rangitata

Julian Blanchard has been selected by the Labour Party to be the candidate for the electorate of Rangitata in the 2008 General Election.

At a Labour party meeting held in Timaru Blanchard was enthusiastically endorsed by the membership after a question and answer session and a speech by Blanchard.

“It is an incredible honour and humbling to be selected as candidate for Rangitata” said Mr Blanchard.

Rangitata Labour Electorate Committee Chairman John Gardner said “We are extremely lucky to have someone like Julian to be our candidate and our endorsement of him was overwhelming.”

Mr Blanchard sporting a newly shaved head after fundraising for Child Cancer over the last week spoke to a large number of Labour members on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Blanchard made special mention of the long time serving and hard working members of the party who form the backbone of the party in the region.

“It is their legacy, their spirit and dedication that will energise me over the next 12 months” said Mr Blanchard.

Mr Blanchard said that there are a number of issues that he sees as important for the region including getting access to affordable services such as health and as well as ensuring workers rights are protected.

Mr Blanchard follows in the footsteps of his grandfather Sir Basil Arthur who was the labour MP for Timaru from 1962 to 1985. Mr Blanchard stood for the Labour Party in the Ilam electorate in 2005.

Blanchard who has volunteered for the party over the last 15 months as the local spokesman runs is own business suppling business products around New Zealand. He is married to Timaru woman Julie Cloake and they have a 3 year old son, Archie.

The Rangitata electorate comprises the urban areas of Timaru, Temuka and Pleasant Point as well as the Mid Canterbury region.

ENDS

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