Brooke van Velden

Brooke Olivia van Velden[1] (born 1992)[2] is a New Zealand politician who has been a Member of Parliament since the 2020 general election for ACT New Zealand.[3] She has been the party's deputy leader since June 2020.[4]

Brooke van Velden MP
Deputy Leader of ACT New Zealand
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 June 2020
Preceded by	Beth Houlbrooke
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for ACT Party List
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 October 2020
Personal details
Born	1992
Political party	ACT
Alma mater	University of Auckland

Early life and career

Van Velden has stated that she studied economics and international trade at University of Auckland. She has worked for lobbying firm Exceltium.[2] She practices Bikram Yoga and enjoys both knitting and tapestry in her leisure time.[5]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
2020–present	53rd	List	2	ACT

Staffer and lobbyist

Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, van Velden worked as a staffer for ACT leader David Seymour. Her sole task in this role was to get Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill passed. She spent two years lobbying Members of Parliament to support it and helped draft the legislation. Van Velden said that she "made herself useful" to MPs who wanted to know more about the bill, and also approached politicians in the tunnel between the Beehive and the Bowen Street building to discuss the bill. She said that she has been called a "snake" and a "spy", and that once several MPs had shouted abuse at her.[6]

The Bill passed and became an Act of Parliament in 2019,[7] but with concessions. The bill faced opposition from members of the Justice Select Committee in 2018. Seymour and van Velden developed a "sponsor's report" for the bill, giving their own recommendations before the committee, including limiting assisted death only to those who were terminally ill. This compromise restricted choice but improved support. The Act also states that it only comes into effect if supported by a referendum.[6] This referendum was held on 17 October and it passed with 65.1% support.[8]

Member of Parliament

Van Velden first ran for Parliament at the 2017 general election. She contested the Auckland Central electorate[9] and was placed third on ACT's party list,[2] but did not win a seat either way.[10]

Van Velden was selected as ACT's deputy leader in June 2020, at the age of 27, and was placed second on its party list for the 2020 general election. At the announcement of her role, leader David Seymour described her as the "future of the party".[2] She ran for the electorate of Wellington Central.[2] She did not win the electorate, placing fifth with 865 votes, but ACT, with 7.6% of the preliminary party vote, was entitled to ten MPs including van Velden.[11][12] As Seymour was previously the party's only representative in Parliament, van Velden is one of nine new ACT Party MPs in the 53rd Parliament.[3][13] On 1 November 2020, she was appointed as ACT's parliamentary whip.[14] She is also the party's spokesperson for Health, Housing, Foreign Affairs, and Trade.[15]

Political views

Van Velden has stated her reasons for entering politics are to reduce generational debt, improve housing affordability, and provide better mental health for all.[5] She supported the End of Life Choice Bill based on her belief in freedom of choice.[6] In a debate about legalising cannabis, van Velden said that she had smoked it before.[16] She was formerly a Green Party supporter, but switched to supporting ACT while studying economics and international trade at Auckland University.[6][17]

References

1. https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20201125_039660000/event
2. Cooke, Henry (28 June 2020). "ACT reveals new list, elects 27-year-old staffer deputy leader and puts gun lobbyist at number three". Stuff. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
3. "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". Newstalk ZB. 18 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020 – via The New Zealand Herald.
4. "ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden a novice MP but has plenty of political experience". Stuff. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
5. Doyle, Katie (1 August 2020). "Top five contenders who could join ACT leader David Seymour in Parliament". Radio NZ. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
6. Manch, Thomas (16 November 2019). "Formidable Brooke van Velden: The End of Life Choice bill lobbyist you've probably never heard of". Stuff. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
7. Henry Cooke (13 November 2019). "MPs vote in favour of End of Life Choice Bill at final reading". Stuff. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
8. "'No' vote for cannabis legalisation shrinks to 50.7 percent after final votes". RNZ. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
9. "First time candidate: Brooke van Velden". Radio New Zealand. 4 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
10. "Official Count Results – Auckland Central (2017)". Electoral Commission. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
11. "Wellington Central – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
12. "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
13. Lynch, Jenna (6 November 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Judith Collins will 'definitely not' stand down as leader despite National's crushing defeat". Newshub. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
14. "Brooke van Velden". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
15. "Brooke van Velden". ACT New Zealand. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
16. Williams, Katarina (8 September 2020). "Cannabis referendum: Election debate sees leaders, minister confess to smoking weed". Stuff. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
17. Small, Zane (22 October 2020). "ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden on why she stopped supporting the Greens". Newshub. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.