Chair of Labour’s Rainbow Caucus, Shanan Halbert, has been confirmed as the Party’s Candidate for Northcote at the 2023 General Election.
Halbert, who is also a junior Government Whip, has been a Labour MP since 2020 and says he is “humbled by the Labour Party’s support” in continuing to represent the people of Northcote.
Speaking with express, Halbert explained how while Rainbow representation in parliament across most parties has improved in past years, LGBTQ+ representation remains extremely important.
“It hasn’t always been this way — and there’s still a long way to go,” Halbert says.
“If I can inspire younger generations, or even just show our Rainbow communities that they have a voice, this goes a long way to ensuring they feel safe and supported.”
“I’m proud to have been Chair of Labour’s Rainbow caucus, particularly while our Government banned harmful conversion practices. I will continue championing progress like this, particularly for our rainbow rangatahi,” He adds.
Along with being committed to ensuring the Northcote community has a strong local voice in Parliament, Halpert also says that he intends to continue to work with schools on providing gender-neutral bathrooms, seek more support for Pride events both in Tāmaki Makaurau and in the regions, as well as better housing and mental health support.
Halbert also encourages express readers to support rainbow candidates in their areas to ensure progress can continue to be made.
“The more people we have in Parliament advocating for the bread and butter issues impacting our Rainbow communities, the better.”
“I’m proud of our track record. People are free to email me or send me a message or even stop by my office for a chat,” Halbert adds.
