Sarah Dowie has been selected by National Party members as their candidate in Invercargill.
As the party’s regional chair it was my duty, and pleasure, to chair last night’s selection meeting.
The official media release says:
The National Party has announced local legal professional Sarah Dowie will be its candidate for the Invercargill seat at the 2014 general election
Ms Dowie was endorsed by a meeting of local party members in Invercargill tonight.
“National is taking nothing for granted in Invercargill this year, and the selection of a candidate of Sarah’s calibre reflects that,” says National’s Southern Region Chair, Ele Ludemann.
“The electorate and the party have been well served by retiring MP Eric Roy. Sarah will be working hard to win the support of the community to continue that strong local leadership. She is well aware of the challenges ahead, but I know we have the right person.”
Ms Dowie says she is immensely proud to have been selected to contest the electorate for National.
“Invercargill is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. I enjoy people and am passionate about this community,” says Ms Dowie.
“I believe we have some real opportunities ahead as a region. Our challenge is to ensure strong leadership and responsible policies which create more jobs and growth.
“I would be thrilled to earn the trust and support of our communities to serve them in Parliament, help secure those opportunities, and keep Invercargill’s strong voice in John Key’s National Party.”
Sarah Dowie – Biographical notes
Sarah Dowie is an Invercargill-based solicitor. As the daughter of two police officers, justice and law and order issues are part of her DNA.
After graduating from Otago University and being admitted to the Bar in 1998, Sarah established a successful career practising commercial and environmental law.
39-years-old, Sarah lives in Invercargill with husband Mark Billcliff and their two pre-school children. Mark is a former first class cricketer and Southland representative, who now gives back by coaching local youth.
Sarah is an appointee to the Otago-Southland Lotteries Board. Instinctively community-minded, she also provides free legal services to community groups.
She is a former manager for the Department of Conservation in its tourism and concession wing and is now a trustee and Deputy Chair of the Dog Island Motu Piu Conservation Trust, which is working to eradicate pests on the island and restore it as a viable habitat for tuatara.
An active member of the Invercargill Rotary Club, Sarah currently holds the Directorship of Youth/New Generations. She is also a member of the Invercargill Women’s Club, attends All Saints Anglican Church, and is a former executive member of the Waihopai Playcentre.
In her acceptance speech, Sarah paid tribute to Eric and said his will be big shoes to fill.
The unofficial photo shows how big the shoes she will have to fill are:
For the record, his shoes are size 15, and Sarah is up for the job.
Homepaddock 
She sounds like a salt of the earth, common sense candidate and the sort of person we need more of in Parliament.
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http://robertguyton.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/invercargills-national-party-candidate.html
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Andrei: she is and will be working hard to convince Invercargill voters of that.
Robert: upon my sole! Invercargill is blessed with a candidate who can foot it and will shoe-off the opposition.
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Why the blatant link whoring Robert.
Methinks nothing positive to say about such a vibrant, educated, young woman with good credentials, two Children and a male partner, a record of pro bono service and aspiration becoming another piece of the renewal process occurring in National.
Makes a change from all the political; gender, orientation, trade union, man ban, ethnicity based BS from those scrabbling at the extremely sparse opportunities around the main opposition party.
Thanks Eric and best wishes to Sarah
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Great to see a youthful candidate in Invercargill. Another well educated professional to join National’s ranks unlike the unionists from Labour and the parliamentary staffers from the Greens. Someone who has been in the real world.
Isn’t it great how National rejuvenates itself without the heavy hand of regulation.
Labour MP’s hang on sucking at the teat of the state. The Greens love these privileges as well.
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Has Labour yet found someone to stand so that Lesley Soper doesn’t?
As link-whoring seems to be the order of the day, Robert will be pleased to note that I extended the hand of goodwill to one of his political brethren this morning:
http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/guest-post-candidate-speaks.html
Best of luck to both Sarah Dowie and Dave Kennedy, and may the best woman win 😀
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Ms Dowie’s drink was laced!
A diminutive, blonde Suzanne Prentice stood against Tim Shadbolt in a recent local body election and was sent packing. Invergargill people aren’t wowed by the combination of gender, stature and hair-colour that seems to be so magnetic for the National Party faithful. Mind you, Eric puts pay to that theory somewhat… he’s a crag.
Gravedodger – to much bile in your warm milk this morning?
Try a valerian smoothie, that’ll settle your case of gripe.
Post some to Neil. He’s a fellow sufferer.
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Robert, are you comparing Dave to Tim Shadbolt?
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Dave’s very well known in Invercargill, Tracey.
Tim who?
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You have a lot of confidence in your brother-in-law. Are you going to suggest a blonde rinse anyway, just in case there might be something in this?? 🙂
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If modest and respected Dave had some more of my chutzpa, he’d fly in as MP for Invercargill.
Working on that…
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There we are then, Dave Kennedy, aka Mr Kennedy Sir, aka BSprout, teacher for 30 years but no clue how NZ Inc actually functions, will take the Invercargill .seat, currently held by retiring MP Eric Roy for the National Party with a majority of 5766 over second place “no friends Nigel Leslie-Soper with prim teach Dave another 8000 votes back in third.
Why because Robert wishes it so.
The same Robert who apparently does not recognise the current mayor of the great southern city, Tim Shadbolt, re-elected for six terms, and Ingill is only 24 kms east of Riverton in a crow and a mere 40 kms on an Ass.
Many knew Robert doesn’t get out much but geez, pretends to be a Regional councilor to boot.
Dave Kennedy of the same Green party that will print money to destroy my hard earned retirement savings, will save a householder 100 bucks, yep $2.00 a week if they borrow $15 000 from the gummint to put a solar panel on their roof in spite of a previous brain fart promise to cut electricity prices by installing a layer of bureaucracy, state owned, to fix generation prices and cap retail prices, employing the Canute strategy. The self same mob who sat on their votes while Helen Clark boosted electricity prices over 70% in nine long years as backdoor access, to money to buy votes.
Possibly slipped the vacuous green melons minds that John Key rebuilt the Southland lifeboat at the bargain cost of 30 million to the smelter.
Add in Wed Wussel’s delusions of grandeur over CO Prime minister, Finance minister, Treasurer, never did get that fwag back either.
Noddys in toyland.
Dont worry about my diet Robert, appreciate the concern an all. Start every day with rolled oat porridge, Flemings of course now made in Aus by that Bloody Uncle Ben of yours, with salt to harden the arteries and a bit of Ele’s farmer’s milk to keep the cholesterol up, the oats bring it back down.
$10 dollars to a knob of goat shit says the current temporary leader of The NZLP and all their fellow travelers wish with a passion they could replace long serving MPs as seamlessly.
And their long serving MPs could not hold a candle to Eric Roy on any measure, except of course, thuggery, duplitious actions, shameless denigration of citizens under the cloak of priviledge, and wanton destruction of civil service careers because they can not envision someone could be true and trustworthy sharing accommodation with another PS serving an opposition member.
I am sure Dave Kennedy is another very nice man, as you are Robert at your place, I am sure, however I would refrain from putting your house on his winning Ingill, best he could do might be to withdraw and let the NZLP hopeful feel a little more confident, but that would be equally futile as a gesture.
Nearly half past beer and getting on to G& T time, have a nice day.
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I love Gravedodger .. did bOb ever comment on the post about the Gweens latest poll result .. like, when the Nats go down he has orgasms .. If I was Dave Kennedy, I would ask bOb to stop commenting in social media as he is poison to the Green cause.
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Robert, what happened to your friend Ben?! He was being talked up by the landed gentry and barely a political whimper on his acidic twitter account lately, I sense a story?
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Robert, if you had some of Dave’s modesty and respect imagine the places you could go?
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oh noooooooooooooooooooooooo, is Dave your brother-in-law bOb. If so, I feel for the poor guy.
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Don’t feel for Dave, Jabba. He has a wife.
Kermitfan, Ben’s been spayed.
Tracey, Your sentence ends with a question mark but isn’t a question.
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does she wear makeup bOb .. did you see the rouge poll showing the Gweens taking a hit bOb?
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Yes, correct, Robert. It was meant to be a great big ” ! “
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Rouge?
There was a red poll, jabba?
That’s a bird, isn’t it?
http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/common-redpoll
Or a cow?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Poll
You want me to comment on a bird and a cow?
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bOb bOb bOb .. you are such a hoot .. your party took a hit and and you disappear .. I’m sure that when the Nats drop some points you will troll your way back here suggesting the Nats are doomed. And hell will freeze over(no intention to link your silly global warming suggestion) before I check out your lame blog again.
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