Holly Walker

Holly Ruth Walker (born 15 November 1982) is a former member of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2011 to 2014, as a Green Party list MP. She is deputy Director of The Helen Clark Foundation, and a writer and book reviewer.

This article is about the New Zealand politician. For the American comedian, see Holly Walker (comedian). For the English singer, see Maribou State.

Holly Walker
Walker in 2011
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Green party list
In office
2011 (2011)–2014
Succeeded byJames Shaw
Personal details
Born (1982-11-15) 15 November 1982
NationalityNew Zealander
Political partyGreen
SpouseDavid Haines
Children2
Alma mater
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Walker was born in Lower Hutt in 1982.[1] She was raised by a mother on the Domestic Purposes Benefit and attended Waterloo School, Hutt Intermediate School and Hutt Valley High School, where she was deputy head girl.[2][3][4]

University and early political work

From 2001 she studied at the University of Otago, graduating with a BA (Hons) in English and Politics, as well as winning a Blue for her achievements with the Otago University Debating Society.[2] In 2005 she was the editor of student magazine Critic Te Ārohi, the year's winner of the Aotearoa Student Press Association's award for Best Student Publication.[5] In September 2005 Critic's annual "Offensive Issue" included a fictional diary of a man who used drugs to stupefy and rape women. The Office of Film and Literature Classification banned the issue in early 2006, after Walker's tenure as editor had ended. At the time of the ban she said the article was "defendable in that it highlights a very important issue",[6] but when Critic interviewed her in 2012 she called it "a mistake to publish that particular article the way that we did".[7]

She moved from Dunedin to Wellington and in 2006 began working as a media adviser to the Green Party.[8] The next year she moved to the Office of Treaty Settlements, working as an analyst.[1] 2007 also saw her named a Rhodes scholar,[9] leading to a master's degree in Developmental Studies from the University of Oxford, awarded in 2007.[1][8][10]

After two years in Oxford, Walker returned to New Zealand and the Green Party. She spent 2009-11 as a Political and Media Adviser to the party's MPs, leading a poverty research project for the party, and she co-convened the Young Greens of Aotearoa in 2010.[8][10]

Member of Parliament
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2011–2014 50th List 12 Green
Walker talking to Bryce Edwards at University of Otago Vote Chat in 2011

Placed twelfth on the Green Party list for the 2011 election,[11] Walker was elected to Parliament when the Greens gained 14 seats.[12] She gave her maiden speech in February 2012.[13]

On 5 April 2012, Walker's Lobbying Disclosure Bill was drawn from the ballot of private members' bills and introduced to Parliament.[14][15][16] It had originally been written by Sue Kedgley, but was narrowed in scope under Walker.[17] The bill was modelled on a Canadian law, with similar legislation in Australia and America also being an influence. Its intention was to make interactions between MPs and lobbyists more transparent.[18] It passed its first reading but was rejected by a parliamentary select committee in August 2013.[17]

In January 2013 Walker unveiled the Green Party's Home for Life scheme, aimed at getting low income earners into their own homes.[19] By the end of the Parliamentary term she was Green Party spokesperson for Housing, Electoral Reform, Children, Open Government, Arts Culture & Heritage, and Students.[20]

Three months before the 2014 general election, Walker withdrew from the Green Party list, citing "a recent unexpected change in my family life".[21] She had been placed twelfth - high enough to be returned to Parliament.[22] She remained the party's (unsuccessful) candidate for Hutt South, campaigning only for the party vote, and did not rule out a return to politics.[23][24]

Career after politics

After stepping down as a Green MP, Walker worked at the Office of the Children's Commissioner, and began a blog reviewing books written by women.[25] She has written that she wishes to return to public life when family commitments allow her to:

One day – when time and family permits – I hope to step back onto a public stage, whether in politics or in some other sphere, if for no other reason than I’m an A-type personality, and I like it. Until then, I’ll fiercely support and encourage other women to combine parenting and politics if they want to and think they can. More representative parliaments make better decisions, so we need as many mothers in there as we can get. But I’ll also tell them straight: it’s damn hard. And if it’s too hard, it’s ok. The world’s fight is being fought on many fronts, and front and centre is only one of them.[25]

In 2015 she first contributed to website The Spinoff, reviewing books, interviewing authors, and writing other articles.[26] In 2016 she launched a parenting podcast, Dear Mamas, co-hosted with Emily Writes, and contributed book reviews to Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon programme.[27][28][29]

As of March 2022, she is deputy executive director of The Helen Clark Foundation.[30]

Books

Walker's first book, The Whole Intimate Mess: Motherhood, Politics, and Women's Writing, was launched in June 2017. It describes her experiences while trying to combine motherhood and her career as an MP, including post-natal depression and instances of intentional self-injury.[31]

She is one of two editors of Reconnecting Aotearoa: Loneliness and Connection in the Age of Social Distance, which is due to be released by BWB in September 2023.[32]

Family life

Walker is in a civil union with David Haines.[33] They live in Petone with their 2 daughters.[34][35]

References
  1. "Holly Ruth Walker". Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  2. "Rhodes Scholars Elect for 2007". Scoop. 18 October 2006. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  3. Easton, Paul (8 September 2012). "Green and keen to make a difference". The Dominion Post. p. C5. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  4. Brown, Erin (25 March 2012). "Green MP warns inequality at 'crisis point' in NZ". NewsWire.co.nz. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  5. "ASPA Awards: Critic named Best Student Publication". No. 3 October 2005. Aotearoa Student Press Association. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  6. "Student drug-rape magazine banned". The New Zealand Herald. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  7. Fredric, Callum (11 March 2012). "Holly Walker: Green star on the horizon". Critic Te Arohi. No. 3. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  8. "Holly Walker (official MP profile)". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  9. The Rhodes Trust. "Rhodes scholar class of 2007". The Rhodes Scholarships. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  10. Edwards, Simon. "Holly Walker ready for first day as MP". Hutt News. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  11. "2011 election candidates". Green Party. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  12. "Official Count Results – Successful Candidates". electionresults.govt.nz.
  13. "Holly Walker's maiden speech to the House". home.greens.org.nz. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  14. "The Nation: politicians take on Lobbying Disclosure Bill". 3 News. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  15. "Lobbying Disclosure Bill". www.parliament.nz. New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  16. "Lobbying Disclosure Bill". www.legislation.govt.nz/. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  17. Davison, Isaac (24 August 2013). "MPs decide law to restrict lobbyists unnecessary in 'village' NZ". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  18. Chapman, Kate (10 April 2012). "Greens' bill rips veil off lobbying". stuff.co.nz. Fairfax. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  19. "Greens unveil 'rent-to-buy' scheme". 3 News NZ. 24 January 2013.
  20. "Holly Walker". Green Party. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  21. "Green MP Holly Walker stepping down". Stuff. Fairfax. 8 July 2014.
  22. "Official Count Results - Overall Status (2014)". electionresults.govt.nz. Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  23. Bennett, Adam (30 June 2014). "Green MP Holly Walker to step down at election". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  24. "Holly Walker: The Whole Intimate Mess". BWB. Bridgett Williams Books. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  25. Walker, Holly (24 February 2015). "'How Do You Do It?' Hard Lessons in Work-Life Balance". The Rhodes Project. Archived from the original on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  26. "Holly Walker (author profile)". The Spinoff. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  27. Writes, Emily. "Podcast archive". Mama Said. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  28. "Book review - Can You Tolerate This? by Ashleigh Young". Radio NZ. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  29. "Book review - Billy Bird by Emma Neale". Radio NZ. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  30. "Our People - the Helen Clark Foundation". The Helen Clark Foundation.
  31. Davidson, Isaac (16 June 2017). "Ex-MP says stress of baby, Parliament drove her to self-injury". The New Zealand Herald.
  32. "Reconnecting Aotearoa: Loneliness and Connection in the Age of Social Distance". BWB. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  33. Rutherford, Hamish (5 May 2013). "Greens' Holly Walker announces pregnancy". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  34. "Greens Holly Walker announces pregnancy". Stuff/Fairfax. 5 May 2013.
  35. Vance, Andrea (19 October 2013). "Baby Esther does her bit for rule change". Fairfax New Zealand.
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