A fiercely anti-abortion lobby group is putting pressure on the National Party not to select an experienced doctor whose job has involved authorising and performing abortions. Right to Life said the potential selection of medical practitioner Rosemary Fenwicke as a candidate in Wellington Central “would have serious consequences for the National Party at the forthcoming Read more
National Candidate for Tamaki Simon O’Connor, 35, was born and raised in Whangarei. He completed training as a Catholic priest, but chose not to be ordained.
“It’s like a lot of young men who go through it – it eventually didn’t feel like the right fit for me and I felt I could probably use some of the skills I had in a wider context, in this case outside the priesthood, so went pretty quickly into politics to make a difference that way.”
Qualities developed in his training – honesty, integrity, discipline, respect for others – were assets for a political career, he said.
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