Louisa Wall

Louisa Wall
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Manurewa
Assumed office
12 April 2011
Preceded by George Hawkins
Personal details
Born (1972-02-17) 17 February 1972
Taupo, New Zealand
Nationality New Zealand
Political party Labour
Previous teams Silver Ferns (netball)
Black Ferns (rugby)

Louisa Hareruia Wall (born 17 February 1972) is the New Zealand Member of Parliament for Manurewa, having stood for the New Zealand Labour Party. She has represented Aotearoa in both netball as a Silver Fern and rugby union as a member of the Black Ferns.

Early and personal life

Born in Taupo, Wall has Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Waikato ancestry. She was named after her father's cousin Louis, who died on the day she was born.[1]

She attended secondary school at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College and earned qualifications from the Waikato Institute of Technology, the University of Waikato and Massey University. She worked in the health field.[2] She identifies openly as lesbian[3] and is a strong advocate for human rights.

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2008 48th List 46 Labour
2011 49th List 43 Labour
2011–2014 50th Manurewa none Labour
2014–2017 51st Manurewa 12 Labour
2017–present 52nd Manurewa 26 Labour
Louisa Wall
Medal record
Representing  New Zealand
World Cup
1998 Amsterdam Rugby

In the 2005 election Louisa Wall stood unsuccessfully in the Port Waikato electorate and occupied the 46th position on the Labour list.

She became a Labour Party MP on 4 March 2008 to replace retiring list MP Ann Hartley.

In the 2008 election, she unsuccessfully stood in Tāmaki Makaurau, against Māori Party leader Pita Sharples.

Wall returned to Parliament as a Labour List MP, after she was selected in December 2010 to represent Labour in Manurewa due to the retirement of George Hawkins. Serving in the 49th New Zealand Parliament,[4] she subsequently won the Manurewa electorate in the 2011 election and returned to the 50th New Zealand Parliament. She has continued to hold Manurewa by a comfortable margin in both the 2014 e and 2017 elections.

Same-sex marriage

In May 2012, Louisa Wall submitted a Bill to legalise same-sex marriage in New Zealand to the private member's bill ballot. it was subsequently drawn and introduced to Parliament in late July 2012.[5]

On 29 August 2012, the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill passed its first reading with a vote of 80-40. On 17 April 2013, the Bill was passed into law by 77 votes to 44, making New Zealand the 13th nation to allow same-sex marriage. The Bill came into effect on 19 August 2013, since then married same sex couples in New Zealand have been able to adopt children jointly.

At the third reading, Louisa gave a speech[6] likening the passing of the Bill to Treaty of Waitangi settlement acts previously passed by the New Zealand Parliament.[7] She stated the passing of the Bill was like winning a "World Cup final".[8]

Sporting career

Louisa Wall was named in the Silver Ferns 1989 team, aged 17, having been an outstanding athlete and scholar at Taupo nui a tia College.[9]

Inspired by watching the All Blacks on TV with her father as a child, Louisa made the Black Ferns in 1998. A team that would go on to win the first ever Women's Rugby World Cup.[10] The team won their first game against Germany 134-6, and the final against the USA 44-12.[11]

She had been banned from playing at her dads club as a girl at the age of 5, and after winning the World Cup, returned to New Zealand and gave her medal to her dad.

References

  1. ↑ Hewitson, Michele (9 April 2011). "Michele Hewitson interview: Louisa Wall". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Louisa Wall's biography". New Zealand Labour Party. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  3. ↑ "MP Louisa Wall sworn in". Television New Zealand. 4 March 2008.
  4. ↑ "Louisa Wall back in Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  5. ↑ Davison, Isaac; Shuttleworth, Kate (26 July 2012). "MP's to vote on gay marriage". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "Wall introduces bill for last time". 3 News NZ. 17 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "MPs vote to legalise same sex marriage". Television New Zealand. 17 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Vote like a 'World Cup final' - Wall". 3 News NZ. 18 April 2013.
  9. ↑ "Front and Centre at Taupo Netball Centre". Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  10. ↑ Little, Paul (2017-07-21). "Louisa Wall's most significant year of her life". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  11. ↑ "A brief history of the Women's Rugby World Cup". All Blacks. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
George Hawkins		 Member of Parliament for Manurewa
2011–present		 Incumbent
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