A Kumara Junction woman with an extensive rural career is throwing her hat in the political ring this election as the ACT Party candidate for the West Coast-Tasman seat.
Kelly Lilley, who manages a vet practice in the West Coast settlement with her husband Michael, says New Zealand was at a “crossroads” and believes its time for “real change” and “sensible solutions” to address the cost of living, crime, and co-governance.
“The cost of living is a huge thing, and I don’t think it matters where you live or if your community is big or small, or rural or urban - everyone is feeling the pinch of inflation,” she says.
“Crime and feeling safe in our communities is something that everyone is very aware of, and you don’t have to look far in the news headlines to hear of some of the things which are happening in some of our larger centres.”
She says she did not support co-governance because New Zealand should be “thriving” and “multi-ethnic” where decisions aren’t based on race, gender or “anything else that divides us”.
Kelly says she spent half of her adult life working in rural banking in Tasman and the West Coast and had lived in Murchison between 2011 and 2015.
She says she and her husband then shifted to Central Otago where they co-owned a vet practice before moving to Kumara Junction in 2020 where they remain in the same line of work while raising their four primary school-aged children.
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Kelly says she had been a member of the Kumara Junction community committee group for about two years and had improved the amenities of residents.
She says the ACT party has “fabulous plans” if elected.
“ACT wants to see wasteful government spending cut, and I think we want to focus on efficient and effective spending on the front lines,” she says.
“I think that’s a big one for all Kiwis, making sure the government spending is targeted to their areas where we need it most.
“With a focus on increasing that party vote, it is going to give New Zealand a strong and stable ACT-National-led government,” she says.
