Louisa Wall
Encyclopedia
Louisa Hareruia Wall is a New Zealand
MP
and national representative netball
and rugby union
player.
and brought up in Waiatahanui (just south of Taupo), Wall has Ngāti Tūwharetoa
and Waikato
ancestry. She was named after her father's cousin Louis, who died on the day she was born. Wall attended secondary school
at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College. She earned qualifications from the Waikato Institute of Technology
, the University of Waikato
and Massey University
; and worked in the health field. She identifies openly as lesbian.
squad to train under former New Zealand Captain and New Zealand Coach, Lyn Parker. In 1989 the selectors named her in the Silver Ferns
netball team (New Zealand's national representative netball team) at the age of 17. Wall also represented New Zealand in the Black Ferns
women's rugby team.
Wall stood unsuccessfully in the Port Waikato
electorate and occupied the 46th position on the Labour list. She became a Labour Party
Member of Parliament
on 4 March 2008 following her swearing-in to replace retiring list MP Ann Hartley
.
In the 2008 general election
she stood in Tāmaki Makaurau
, against Māori Party
leader Pita Sharples
. She failed to win the seat, and due to her low list placing (position 43) did not return to Parliament as an MP. However,
in December 2010, she was elected by Labour Party electorate committee members to represent the party in the electorate of Manurewa
in the 2011 general election
due to the retirement of George Hawkins. Resultantly, after Darren Hughes
resigned from Parliament in April 2011, and people higher on Labour's list, such as Dave Hereora
, Judith Tizard
and Mark Burton
, decided not to take up the list position, Wall was returned to Parliament as a Labour List MP serving in the 49th New Zealand Parliament
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and national representative netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player.
Early and personal life
Born in TaupoTaupo
Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
and brought up in Waiatahanui (just south of Taupo), Wall has Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Ngati Tuwharetoa
Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua at Matata across the central plateau of the North Island to the lands around Mount Tongariro and Lake Taupo.The iwi is identified...
and Waikato
Waikato (iwi)
Waikato is a Māori iwi from the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Actually a confederation of smaller tribes, it is also part of the larger confederation of Tainui, consisting of tribes descended from Polynesian migrants who arrived in New Zealand on the Tainui canoe...
ancestry. She was named after her father's cousin Louis, who died on the day she was born. Wall attended secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College. She earned qualifications from the Waikato Institute of Technology
Waikato Institute of Technology
The Waikato Institute of Technology, marketed as Wintec, is a technological learning institute based in Hamilton, New Zealand, and the fifth largest institute of technology/polytechnic within New Zealand, with around 16,000 full-time and part-time students, 1,200 full-time and part-time staff — and...
, the University of Waikato
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
and Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
; and worked in the health field. She identifies openly as lesbian.
Sport
In 1988 Wall became the youngest member of the "Young Internationals" netballNetball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
squad to train under former New Zealand Captain and New Zealand Coach, Lyn Parker. In 1989 the selectors named her in the Silver Ferns
Silver Ferns
The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern , which is an iconic emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative...
netball team (New Zealand's national representative netball team) at the age of 17. Wall also represented New Zealand in the Black Ferns
Black Ferns
The Black Ferns is New Zealand's national women's rugby union team.- The name :The name comes from the use of the colour black and the silver fern as New Zealand sporting symbols...
women's rugby team.
Political career
In the 2005 general electionNew Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
Wall stood unsuccessfully in the Port Waikato
Port Waikato (New Zealand electorate)
Port Waikato was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate.It was held by Paul Hutchison MP from 1999 to 2008.-Population centres:The electorate included the following population centres:* Port Waikato-History:...
electorate and occupied the 46th position on the Labour list. She became a Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
on 4 March 2008 following her swearing-in to replace retiring list MP Ann Hartley
Ann Hartley
Margaret Ann Hartley known as Ann Hartley is a former New Zealand member of parliament, a former Mayor of North Shore City, and a member of the Labour Party.-Early years:...
.
In the 2008 general election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
she stood in Tāmaki Makaurau
Tamaki Makaurau
Tāmaki Makaurau is a New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorate returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. From 1999 to 2002 the seat was called Hauraki....
, against Māori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
leader Pita Sharples
Pita Sharples
Pita Russell Sharples, CBE, , a Māori academic and politician, currently co-leads the Māori Party. He currently is the member for Tamaki Makaurau in New Zealand's Parliament.-Early life:...
. She failed to win the seat, and due to her low list placing (position 43) did not return to Parliament as an MP. However,
in December 2010, she was elected by Labour Party electorate committee members to represent the party in the electorate of Manurewa
Manurewa
Manurewa is the southernmost major suburb of Manukau City, one of the four cities that make up the metropolitan area of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 6km south of the Manukau City Centre, and 26km southeast of the Auckland CBD....
in the 2011 general election
New Zealand general election, 2011
The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party...
due to the retirement of George Hawkins. Resultantly, after Darren Hughes
Darren Hughes
Darren Colyn Hughes was a New Zealand Member of Parliament between 2002 and 2011, first elected at the age of 24. He represented the Labour Party and was a Minister outside Cabinet in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand....
resigned from Parliament in April 2011, and people higher on Labour's list, such as Dave Hereora
Dave Hereora
Dave Hereora is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party.-Early life:Hereora was born in 1956. He was a worker at Affco Meatworks and became a trade union organiser.-Political career:...
, Judith Tizard
Judith Tizard
Judith Tizard is a former New Zealand politician. She was a member of the Labour Party.-Early life:Judith Ngaire Tizard was born in Auckland in 1956...
and Mark Burton
Mark Burton
Richard Mark Burton is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Labour Party. He served as Minister of Defence; Minister of Justice; Minister of Local Government; Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations; Deputy Leader of the House; and the Minister Responsible for the Law...
, decided not to take up the list position, Wall was returned to Parliament as a Labour List MP serving in the 49th New Zealand Parliament
49th New Zealand Parliament
The 49th New Zealand Parliament was elected at the 2008 election. It consists of 122 members, including an overhang of two seats caused by the Māori Party having won two more electorate seats than its share of the party vote would otherwise have given it. The Parliament will serve from 2008 until...
.