Vanessa Weenink selected as National’s candidate for Banks Peninsula

General practitioner and Banks Peninsula local Dr Vanessa Weenink has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate for Banks Pensinula in this year’s General Election.

“I’m honoured to have the support of the National Party as its candidate for Banks Peninsula,” says Dr Weenink.

“This fantastic part of Christchurch is my home and I’m getting to work straight away meeting as many people as I can to campaign for a National Government. I’ve spent my career helping people and want to do the same for my community as part of Chris Luxon’s National team.

“The cost-of-living crisis is stretching families’ budgets and it’s clear Labour’s approach isn’t working. The median weekly rent in Christchurch has shot up by $150 under this Government and people with mortgages are facing hundreds of dollars more every week on their repayments.

“As a medical professional, I used to believe Labour’s campaign rhetoric around improving our health system but after almost six years of this Government, I have seen the reality of its approach, which prioritises more bureaucracy over reducing wait times and delivering better services.

“I’m standing for National because it’s the only party capable of strengthening our economy so we can reduce the cost of living, lift incomes, deliver better health and education services, build infrastructure and restore law and order.

“If I earn the support of Banks Peninsula to be its MP, I’ll be highly accessible, visible and focused on the issues that matter to our community.”

Biographical notes

Dr Vanessa Weenink works as a self-employed general practitioner. Vanessa co-owned and operated Papanui Medical Centre for several years and is a fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health from Otago University. She has served in health sector governance roles including as a board member of Pegasus Health and on the clinical governance committee for national telehealth service Whakarongorau Aotearoa. She was also elected chair of the general practitioner council of the New Zealand Medical Association and deputy chair of the NZMA’s board.

Alongside her other roles, Vanessa served in the NZDF for over 20 years as a medical officer in the Army.

Formerly a Labour Party member and volunteer, Vanessa joined National after seeing Labour’s failure to deliver not just in the health system, but in addressing the social determinants of poor health outcomes.

Vanessa lives in Cashmere with her husband and has a blended family of five children.