The Green Party is announcing Lan Pham as their candidate for Banks Peninsula Te Pātaka o Rākaihautu.

Lan’s background is in Freshwater Ecology in both public service and grass-roots conservation and restoration, including working with nga rūnanga, farmers, schools, and community groups across Canterbury and the lower South Island. She served the last 6 years on Environment Canterbury and was the highest polling candidate in the constituency she contested in both 2016 and 2019 local government elections. She is an RMA Commissioner and in 2021 was appointed as a Freshwater Commissioner.

A few examples of the most significant achievements of Lan’s time on Environment Canterbury included: council opposition to deep sea oil and gas drilling off the Canterbury coast, being the first council in NZ to declare a climate emergency, the passing of the Ngāi Tahu Bill which enabled the appointment of two appointed Ngāi Tahu Councillors, the introduction of $1 and $2 bus fares for all of Greater Christchurch, and being the first regional council to become a certified Living Wage employer.

Lan’s ancestry is Vietnamese and Pākehā heritage with her connection to Banks Peninsula going back to her great-great-grandmother who arrived on the Waitangi in Whakaraupō Lyttleton in 1876 and lived the rest of her life in Akaroa.

Lan said:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected to represent the Green Party for Banks Peninsula, which includes so many of the places my family and I live, work and play including southern Christchurch city and the Port Hills. I really want to thank the Green Party and everyone for their support and encouragement to take this on.”

“It is a huge honour and challenge to follow Eugenie Sage who has made such an incredible contribution as a Green Party MP especially in the areas of conservation and waste minimisation. My hope is I can play a key part in being part of a strong, credible Green Party team who understands that we are part of the environment and we only thrive when nature thrives.”

“When we look around at the impacts that even 1.2 degrees warming is having on our environment and our Aotearoa community, it becomes crystal clear that we need to, and can, redesign the way we do things.

Too many families are struggling to get by, wealth is out of balance, and our planet’s climate and environment is in crisis. Unless we address this, we will hand our kids an uncertain future.”

“The Green’s have a track record of getting real change for Aotearoa and only the Greens have a plan to build a fairer, climate-friendly Aotearoa where nature thrives and everyone can afford a warm home and food on the table. That’s the vision that sits right with me, and an increasing number of kiwis.

The only way to make that vision a reality is with more Green MPs in parliament.

A vote for the Greens means we can be the driving force in truly shaping the direction of the next Government.”

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