Sarah Pallett

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Sarah Pallett
MP
Sarah Pallett.jpg
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Ilam
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Preceded byGerry Brownlee
Personal details
BornJersey, Channel Islands
Political partyLabour
Children2
ProfessionMember of Parliament, midwife
Websitewww.labour.org.nz/sarahpallett

Sarah Jean Pallett[1] is a New Zealand politician and the current Member of Parliament for Ilam in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.

Early life and career[]

Pallett was born in Jersey, Channel Islands and spent her early years in the United Kingdom.[2] Her mother died of breast cancer when Pallett was 21.[3] She came to New Zealand with her husband and two daughters. Since divorced, she was a midwife for 10 years, working as a rural midwife and then at Christchurch Women's Hospital.[4] She became a midwifery lecturer at Ara Institute of Canterbury, and also served as president of the majority union of academic staff at Ara.[5]

Political career[]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–present 53rd Ilam 62 Labour

Pallett founded and now chairs the Canterbury Women's Branch of the Labour Party.[6]

During the 2020 election, Pallett won the seat of Ilam by a final margin of 3,463 votes, ousting incumbent National Member of Parliament Gerry Brownlee.[7] Dominic Harris of news website Stuff called it "perhaps the most unlikely of election night coups".[4]

Pallett voted for cannabis reform in the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum and for the End of Life Choice Act 2019 to come into force in the 2020 New Zealand euthanasia referendum. Pallett said after her election that she felt it was “really time to move forward” on cannabis leglisation and that the law disproportionately affected Māori and Pasifika.[3] In 2021 she expressed support for a student-led campaign for discounted bus fares in Canterbury.[8]

Pallett is a member of the Health Select Committee.[9]

Personal life[]

Pallett was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36, but was diagnosed early and survived it stating she is "one of the lucky ones".[2] Pallett lives in Ilam with her husband Andy,[5] whom she married on 9 July 2021 in the halls of parliament.[10] Her son-in-law, Matthew Grace, was her campaign manager.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ "Event - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz.
  2. ^ a b Coughlan, Thomas (9 February 2021). "New Ilam MP Sarah Pallett's long journey to Parliament". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Canterbury politicians consider own experiences, criminality issue for referendums". Stuff. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Harris, Dominic (18 October 2020). "Election 2020: Sarah Pallett promises 'more inclusive' style after defeating Gerry Brownlee in Ilam". Stuff. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Army officer and midwifery lecturer to contest two Canterbury seats for Labour". The Press. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Sarah Pallett". Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Ilam - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Campaign for discounted student bus fares in Christchurch gathers pace". Stuff. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Pallett, Sarah - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  10. ^ Molyneux, Vita (9 July 2021). "Labour MP Sarah Pallet's wedding coincides with Hipkins COVID-19 update". Newshub.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Ilam
2020–present 		Incumbent
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