Rodney Local Board chair Beth Houlbrooke has become deputy leader of the ACT Party after rising to second place on the party list.
She will be running for Parliament in September’s General Election, though a decision has yet to be made as to whether she will run as an electorate or list candidate.
She quickly made national headlines last week when she hit out at Labour’s $60-a-week ‘baby bonus’ policy, saying, “The fact is, parents who cannot afford to have children should not be having them.
Ms Houlbrooke says that whatever happens in the run-up to the election, she will ensure that any ACT campaigning won’t interfere with her role in Rodney and will only be done in her spare time.
“During the campaign, I will absolutely put my board responsibilities first and foremost,” she says. “I’m very aware that I’m being paid by the ratepayers.
