YN Presidential Contender Brittany Raleigh

Brittany Raleigh (standing for President)

“I’m blue through and through. At intermediate we held mock elections where a buddy and I convinced our entire class to vote National (and this was in 2002). As a fan of the free market, low taxes and high personal freedoms, joining the Young Nats and the National Party was always going to be inevitable for me.When I turned up to my first event, I expected the organisation to be a place of debating the nuances of policy and waving signs on the side of the road from dusk til dawn (which it is). What I didn’t expect was that it would be a place where I would meet some of my closest friends, where my ideas would be listened to, and where I could have a lasting impact. The Young Nats have a special place in the National Party – we challenge, we support, and most importantly we are its future. 

The Young Nats need strong, experienced leadership that represents the voice of members. This weekend at the Young Nats’ AGM we have an important opportunity to build on the success we’ve had so far, and take the organisation to a new level. We can only do this if we have a team with a vision and a proven track record leading the charge from the front. 

It is crucial that we have an organisation with a culture of inclusion, that we broaden our base to include high schools, uni students, young professionals and tradespeople, and  expand our regions beyond just the metro areas. We need to run the best events with an equal focus on all regions, promote and win on the policies members feel passionately about, and ensure we have the financial resourcing to achieve our goals. We need to be preparing now to win a fourth term in 2017. We’ve had our platform available here on our website for the last three months. 

It’s important to be upfront about what you’re promising. Here’s our 100 day plan, our immediate priorities if elected: 

1. Unify. Reunite the organisation as one – where everyone works together for our common purpose
   2. Set the date for a 2016 Ball & start planning an election year 2017 Ball in Christchurch
   3. Plan a national event hosted by each region
   4. Bring back Young Nats Merchandise
   5. Call a national policy forum so you can tell us what you support
   6. Grassroots expansion. Grow our uni presence to new campuses, establish ourselves in high schools, forge relationships with YoPro groups & assist branch expansion in rural areas & smaller cities
   7. Fill the coffers. Kickoff fundraising initiatives & work with regions to raise operational money & 2017 campaign funds
   8. Prepare for 2017 now. Start campaign planning, training & work shops now to win 2017
   9. Review & clarify rules & standing orders to ensure ongoing transparency & compliance
   10. Review digital strategy. Utilise our tools for grassroots engagement & policy input, restore direct membership access & email authority to regions

I believe I have the experience and the results to take us forward. Since 2011 I have been involved in all facets of the Party and the Young Nats – volunteering in positions ranging from policy chair, secretary, treasurer, campaign manager, youth rep, list ranking committee member, women’s advisory group member, to ball committee member. As Northern Region Chair from 2013-2015 we saw our membership double, we fund-raised over $15,000, we passed multiple remits at a national level, we ran a campaign team of over 100 volunteers, and our social events regularly drew in over 100 people. Born and bred in Tauranga, I now live and work in Auckland as a Key Account Manager at a national freight company, which has given me invaluable commercial and professional experience. 

It is a privilege to seek election with such a talented and diverse team of Young Nats from around the country. Clive Antony is seeking election as Vice President, Ben Wooding as Treasurer, Michael Little as Secretary, Jason Howarth as Policy Chair, Jared Jamison as Grassroots Coordinator, and Sarah Fenwick as Projects Coordinator. Each region in the country is represented on our team and we all bring something unique to the table. Our full bios and backgrounds are available here on our website. 

The Young Nats have an exciting future – one which I hope to be at the helm of. “