Pleasance Hansen is the Greens candidate for the Waitaki electorate. The Waitaki App asked her some questions, to help our readers get to know her a bit better…

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

I’m a 5th generation Kiwi, with ancestors coming to this country between 1841 and 1906. They came from old Europe, Celtic England and Norway. 

I’m a dairy farmer’s daughter, where I learned the value of hard work, and also an appreciation for the land. 

I left home to become a high school teacher, and later a public servant, and was even a bus driver in Wellington for a brief period of time. 

Since the early 2000s I’ve been running my own business as a leadership coach.

Q: What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about New Zealand and our environment, and the world-class natural beauty we have here.

Q: Why have you decided to stand as a candidate for the Waitaki electorate? Is this your first time in politics?

I decided to stand for the Greens in Waitaki, as an area of Te Wai Pounamu I know and love well, with the remarkable Moeraki Boulders, the Elephant Rocks in Duntroon, Ōamaru’s historic and distinctive whitestone buildings and the smallest penguins in the world. Yes, it’s the first time I’ve stood as a candidate.

Q: What are the issues you see as important for this electorate? What can you/your party do to help in regard to these issues.

The economy is dependent on the environment. They can’t be separated out, and right now, farmers have one of the best opportunities to be part of the solution, as the largest landholders in the country.

We need to meet the agreement the National Government signed on Oct 4, 2016 under the Paris Agreement, where we committed to cut our net climate pollution by 50 percent below our gross 2005 levels. 

This means we have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to meet this goal. Otherwise, with the Free Trade Agreement signed on July 9, 2023 between New Zealand and the European Union, our exports won’t be accepted by our international trading partners.

This is a serious matter and it’s the Greens that have the policies, and practical solutions to address it. 

To apply those solutions however, we need far more Green MPs around the decision-making table to protect the environment, which will help the economy, and shift us towards a much more sustainable future, for all of our sakes, including the future of our children, our grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

It is not a time to be complacent. We need to keep moving forward. The Greens are the only party with the courage and foresight to take the action that’s needed to unlock a future we all deserve.

We also want to have a fairer tax system for everyone, which is why we’ve introduced an income guarantee, with $385 per week for people out of work, and a $135 top-up payment for solo parents. It will also put an extra $64 per fortnight in the pockets of retired couples, and a Family Tax Credit Scheme that pays out $350 per week for 2 children, and further payments of $135 for each subsequent child. 

The first $10,000 that is earned will also be tax-free, to not penalise those at the lower end of the tax scale. This will be funded by taxing the wealthiest families who have net wealth (i.e. beyond mortgages) of over $4 million per couple, an estimated 0.7% of the population, to help the majority of New Zealanders better meet the soaring cost of living. This has been costed and approved by economists. 

Right now, 135 countries have fairer tax systems than we do. What we’re proposing will give far more New Zealanders the opportunity for a decent life. 

We also want people to be able to buy affordable homes, so first home buyers will also be supported with low-interest government-backed loans, to help them get a foot on the property ladder.

We’ve also developed a scheme to give free dental care to everyone – without any caveats, to lift the standard of health across the country, and clean energy payments of $6,000 to install solar panels so that each household can become more energy efficient.  If we all do our 1% (or more) we can make a difference, and achieve our 2030 goal, and get us well on the road to Net Zero by 2050.

Q: How is the campaign going for you so far? Highlights and challenges?

One of the highlights is meeting people, and listening to them, and hearing their stories. At the same time, this is a very large electorate. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and a wide range of communities and issues, which also makes it very stimulating.

Q: Where can people find you? 

My email address is: [email protected] and I can also be contacted through the Greens campaign director Chennoah Walford: [email protected], or our communications director Bridie Chetwin-Kelly: [email protected].