Sarah Pallett
Pallett in 2023
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Ilam
In office
17 October 2020 – 14 October 2023
Preceded byGerry Brownlee
Succeeded byHamish Campbell
Personal details
BornJersey, Channel Islands
Political partyLabour
Children2
ProfessionMidwife

Sarah Jean Pallett[1] is a New Zealand midwife and politician who was the Member of Parliament for Ilam in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party from 2020 to 2023.

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, and later 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 served as president of the majority union of academic staff at Ara.[5]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–2023 53rd Ilam 62 Labour

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

In the 2020 election, Pallett won the seat of Ilam by a margin of 3,463 votes, ousting incumbent National Party 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 was a member of the Health Select Committee and deputy chairperson of the Petitions Select Committee.[9]

In the 2023 New Zealand general election, Pallett was unseated by National Party candidate Hamish Campbell. With 9,010 votes, she came third place behind Campbell and The Opportunities Party leader Raf Manji.[10]

Personal life

Pallett was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36, but being diagnosed early, she survived it, saying she is "one of the lucky ones".[2] Pallett lives in Ilam with her husband Andy,[5] whom she married on 9 July 2021 at Parliament in Wellington.[11] Her son-in-law, Matthew Grace, was her campaign manager.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Event – New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz.
  2. 1 2 Coughlan, Thomas (9 February 2021). "New Ilam MP Sarah Pallett's long journey to Parliament". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Canterbury politicians consider own experiences, criminality issue for referendums". Stuff. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 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 23 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  5. 1 2 "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. ↑ "Ilam - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Molyneux, Vita (9 July 2021). "Labour MP Sarah Pallet's wedding coincides with Hipkins COVID-19 update". Newshub.
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