David Seymour said in March the party would be fielding candidates for local elections this year - four Act Local candidates are seeking election in Northland. Photo / NZME
David Seymour said in March the party would be fielding candidates for local elections this year - four Act Local candidates are seeking election in Northland. Photo / NZME
The New Zealand clinical director for Australasia’s biggest medicinal cannabis clinic is among four Act Local candidates throwing their hats into the ring for Northland’s elections.
Act leader David Seymour revealed in March the party would be fielding candidates for local elections in October, ina first-time move.
Mangawhai’s Dr Nima Maleiki, who works as a GP at Green Cross Health – The Doctors Tui in Whangārei’s Maunu, has extensive experience in prescribing medicinal cannabis.
He is the clinical director of Alternaleaf NZ, part of a Melbourne-based online medicinal cannabis clinic operating across Aotearoa and Australia.
The clinic has more than 200 qualified medical practitioners and 150,000-plus patients across the two countries. Alternaleaf’s website says it is the largest medicinal cannabis clinic in Australasia.
Maleiki, a Persian Kiwi born in Iran, was educated as a specialist in general practice from the University of Copenhagen. He lived in Denmark for 20 years then moved to Norway where he re-certified as a GP specialist.
Maleiki is one of two Kaipara District Council (KDC) Act candidates and plans to stand in the Mangawhai-Kaiwaka ward.
Roger Billington is standing in KDC's Otamatea ward.
The other candidate is academic and architectural design expert Roger Billington, from Whakapirau on the shores of Kaipara Harbour, who will stand in the council’s Otamatea ward.
English-born Billington is an international design consultant and academic.
His expertise includes sustainable building, repurposing existing buildings for new uses rather than demolishing them and employment-rich urban development.
Kerikeri's Davina Smolders is standing in FNDC's heavyweight Bay of Islands-Whangaroa ward at the coming local elections
Meanwhile, Kerikeri business owner Davina Smolders will be standing in Far North District Council’s Bay of Islands-Whangaroa ward, the only woman among the quartet.
Smolders runs her own company while managing local property. She is a former social service agency chief executive who has spent more than 20 years in leadership roles spanning governance, procurement and senior management.
Ruakākā's Matthew Yovich is standing in WDC's Bream Bay ward in October's local elections.
Yovich was born and raised in Ruakākā. He has qualifications as a fitter and turner and as a father balances work, family life and community service.
Seymour said at the time its new campaign kicked off that national political parties putting forward local candidates had not always been popular, but he reckoned “better representation” was needed on councils.
He said candidates would be expected to raise money to fund their campaigns.
Seymour said Act would not be challenging mayoral seats as the party needed to be “realistic”.
