Labour selects Josephine Bartley to run in Auckland Council By-election.

Panmure resident Josephine Bartley has secured Labour’s backing in the upcoming by-election for the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki ward. The seat was vacated when the sitting councillor resigned after being elected to Parliament. Ms Bartley is in her third term of service on the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board, and is currently the chair with fellow board member Chris Makoare taking over that role in April 2018.

Ms Bartley has deep community connections. In the last nine years she has been involved with many organisations to strengthen and develop the area. In partnership with the Police and community leaders she established the Tāmaki Community Patrols, she is on the Tāmaki Estuary Environment Forum, and she is a member of the Manukau Harbour Forum.

Through her work on the Local Board Ms Bartley has been a member of the Panmure, Glen Innes, and Onehunga Business Associations.

She is a board member of the Glen Innes Family Centre and a long-time member of PACIFICA.

In addition, Ms Bartley is a lawyer who brings 14 years’ experience at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and a stint at NZ Red Cross in Community Engagement.

Former professional boxer and Onehunga business owner David Tua says Ms Bartley will make an excellent councillor: “Josephine has strong community connections.” He says she knows all about hard work and never stops once she gets started. “Her work with the homeless sleepout project was outstanding,” says Mr Tua.

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