Nicola Grigg

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Nicola Grigg
MP
Nicola Grigg - Lincoln (cropped).jpg
Grigg in September 2020
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Selwyn
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Preceded byAmy Adams
Majority4,968
Personal details
Born1979/1980 (age 41–42)[1]
Mount Somers, New Zealand
Political partyNational
RelationsArthur Grigg (great-grandfather)
Mary Grigg (great-grandmother)[2]

Nicola Anna Grigg[3] is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives representing the Selwyn electorate. She is a member of the National Party.

Early life[]

Grigg was born and raised in Mount Somers.[4] Two of her great-grandparents were Members of Parliament for Mid-Canterbury between 1938 and 1943: Arthur Grigg and Mary Grigg (who was the first woman MP for the National Party, completing Arthur's term after his death).[5][6]

Grigg worked as a journalist for both Newstalk ZB and Radio New Zealand before shifting her career to politics. She worked for Bill English both during his tenure as finance minister and prime minister. She later worked for leader of the opposition Simon Bridges. She then left working at parliament and took up a position at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.[7]

Political career[]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–present 53rd Selwyn 60 National

Grigg was selected as the National Party candidate for the Selwyn electorate in November 2019 on the first ballot, ahead of two other nominees: Simon Flood and Craig Watson.[7]

In the 2020 general election, she was elected to the Selwyn seat with a final majority of 4,968 votes.[8] Following the election, Grigg served as National's spokesperson for women and, from August 2021, trade and export growth.[9][10]

Personal life[]

Grigg previously dated former All Black captain Richie McCaw.[7]

Views and position[]

Grigg has supported the establishment of safe zones around abortion providers and hospitals. While voting for the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Bill during its first reading in Parliament, Grigg argued that establishing abortion safe zones would reduce "harassment, hate speech, and intimidation" by anti-abortion protesters against vulnerable women.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ Young, Audrey (10 November 2019). "National picks former press secretary Nicola Grigg for safest seat in the country". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020.
  2. ^ Fonseka, Dileepa (24 December 2019). "The sure things: Nicola Grigg". Newsroom. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Speech - New Zealand Parliament".
  4. ^ "About Nicola". New Zealand National Party. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Nicola Grigg uses maiden speech to pay tribute to her great-grandmother, National's first female MP". Stuff. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Selwyn MP Nicola Grigg dedicates maiden speech to trailblazing great-grandmother". Otago Daily Times Online News. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Cooke, Henry (10 November 2019). "National puts former journalist Nicola Grigg forward for safest seat in NZ". Stuff. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Selwyn - Official Resultt". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  9. ^ a b Small, Zane (12 March 2021). "How MPs voted on law change that would allow safe zones around abortion clinics". Newshub. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  10. ^ New Zealand National Party (28 August 2021). "New National Portfolio Allocations Confirmed". Scoop. Retrieved 29 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Selwyn
2020–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""