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Catherine Wedd
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Catherine Jane Wedd (née Loft; born 1979 or 1980)[1] is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament for the National Party. Wedd currently serves as the chairperson of the Environment Select Committee.[2] She is also Chair of the New Zealand Population and Development Committee which is a cross-party group focused on championing sexual and reproductive health and rights of women.[3] She is a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Minister Mark Mitchell for Cyclone Recovery[3] and was formerly the Deputy Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee and a member of the Primary Production Committee.[3]
Key Information
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Early life
[edit]Wedd was born and raised in Taumarunui. Here Wedd attended Ohura Area School, Tokirima School, Turaki Primary School and later Nga Tawa School in Marton.[4]
Education
[edit]She completed a Bachelor of Law and Arts, majoring in Political Science and English and a post graduate diploma in Journalism at Canterbury University.[4]
Political career
[edit]| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–present | 54th | Tukituki | 23 | National | |
On 21 January 2023, Wedd was announced as the National Party candidate for Tukituki in the 2023 New Zealand general election.[5] She defeated the incumbent Anna Lorck, with whom she previously worked at Attn Marketing PR, with a margin of 10,118 votes.[6][7] Lorck and Wedd were joint directors of that company.[8]
During her campaign, Wedd criticized the government's response to Cyclone Gabrielle, saying perceived uncertainty about relief payments negatively impacted growers;[9] she elsewhere supported the deregulation of the horticulture industry. Wedd has expressed support for a police crackdown on gang membership in the Hawke's Bay region, and has been critical of the education system.[10][7]
On 17 December 2024, Wedd presented The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (3 Day Postnatal Stay) Amendment Bill, proposing at least 72 hours of postnatal inpatient care for new mothers – partly influenced by her own traumatic birth experience.[11]
On 6 May 2025, Wedd introduced a private member's bill called the Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill that would bar access to social media platforms for people under the age of 16 years. Since National's coalition partner ACT New Zealand had refused to support the bill, the Sixth National Government was forced to introduce it as a member's bill rather than a government bill. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that National would seek cross-party support for the legislation. Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has expressed interest in support the bill while New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the bill should be subject to a select committee inquiry. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said she wanted to learn more about the bill but described it as simplistic.[12]
Personal life
[edit]Wedd and her husband Henry have four children.[10] Wedd's grandfather was National Party MP Bill Tolhurst, who represented Whanganui from 1969 to 1972.[10] Her grandmother Jeni Tolhurst also stood for selection.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Austin, Astrid (22 January 2023). "Catherine Wedd selected as National's candidate in Tukituki". Hawkes Bay App. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023.
- ^ "Environment Committee - New Zealand Parliament". Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "Catherine Wedd | MP for Tukituki". National Party. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ a b Whyte, Anna (23 August 2024). "Inside the Beehive: 10 minutes with Catherine Wedd". The Post. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ^ "Catherine Wedd selected as National's candidate in Tukituki". The New Zealand Herald. 22 January 2023.
- ^ "Tukituki - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ a b Bidwell, Hamish (22 January 2023). "National candidate Catherine Wedd focused on issues and not Tukituki incumbent Anna Lorck". The New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Attention Communications Limited (1372925)". Companies Office. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ Du Plessis Allan, Heather (6 July 2023). "National's Catherine Wedd: Lack of cyclone relief clarity creates extra stress for growers". Newstalk ZB. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Hageman, Mitchell (17 October 2023). "Wedd's thoughts with late grandfather as she writes her own political chapter". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ Campbell, Georgina. "MP fights for longer hospital stays after traumatic birth". NZ Herald. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
- ^ Pearse, Adam (6 May 2025). "Social media ban: Act blocks National's bid for Govt consensus on member's bill". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
- ^ Austin, Andrew (2 May 2023). "Video: Family's political history and desire to service community led Catherine Wedd to stand for election – Full Interview". Hawke's Bay App. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
