Labour Selects Afnan Al-Rubayee As Lambton Ward Candidate
Monday, 4 April 2022, 5:24 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
The Labour Party has selected former refugee Afnan Al-Rubayee as its candidate for the Lambton Ward in the 2022 Wellington City Council elections.
Al-Rubayee is a Senior Adviser in the public sector and holds a number of community leadership roles including as spokesperson for the National Refugee and Migrant Forum of Aotearoa.
She is a mother and is studying part-time towards a BA / BCom at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington.
“I arrived in New Zealand in 2003 with my family as a refugee, fleeing the aftermath of the Gulf War in Iraq. We arrived with nothing but simple English and the clothes on our backs. I have since made it my mission to give back to the community here in Wellington.
“I want to bring a fresh perspective on how we can make Wellington even better in every way – whether it’s housing, infrastructure, climate change or how we can come together as a city to better this place for the generations to come.
“Growing up as a teenager in a state house showed me how important it is to have the security of a safe, warm, stable home. Wellington has a housing crisis and I want our city to take action so that everyone has the same opportunities that I did.
“As a mother of a young daughter, a student and a young professional it’s important to me that Wellington is safe and inclusive, has well-funded community facilities such as libraries and that we do our bit to tackle climate change and other issues facing our future generations.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
“I know from my own experience how important it is to have a vibrant, functioning and responsive democracy. That means making sure all communities feel heard and that the Council is focused on the things that matter to Wellingtonians.”
If successful, Afnan Al-Rubayee would be the first former refugee elected to Wellington City Council.
Labour has previously announced the selection of Matthew Reweti for Te Whanganui a Tara, Nureddin Abdurahman for Paekawakawa/Southern Ward and Ben McNulty for Takapū/Northern Ward, as well as the reselection of incumbent councilors Rebecca Matthews for Wharangi/Onslow-Western Ward, Teri O'Neill for Motukairangi/Eastern Ward and Daran Ponter for Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}
Using Scoop for work?
Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
Find more from New Zealand Labour Party on InfoPages.