Francisco Hernandez (politician)
Francisco Hernandez | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hernandez in 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1990 or 1991 (age 32–33) Philippines[1] |
| Political party | Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand |
Francisco Hernandez (born 1990 or 1991)[2] is a New Zealand politician, soon to represent the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand as a Member of Parliament.
Early life
Hernandez was born in the Philippines and moved to Wellington when he was 12 with his family.[3][4] His father, Rossano Hernandez, had been a politician aligned with Joseph Estrada and left the Philippines with his family after the fall of the Estrada administration in 2001.[5] Francisco Hernandez graduated from the University of Otago with a degree in Politics, and is pursuing a Master's degree in Economics.[4]
Political career
Hernandez enrolled with the Labour Party in 2008 when he began studying at Otago, before joining the Green Party in 2014.[4] Hernandez was president of the Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) in 2013,[5] and previously held positions on the OUSA executive in 2011 and 2012.[1]
In the 2013 local elections, he unsuccessfully ran for a councillor position at Dunedin City Council[6][7] and, subsequently, for head of the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA).[8] In the 2016 local elections, he unsuccessfully stood for a position on the Henderson-Massey Local Board.[9]
After leaving university in 2014, he began working as a Green Party parliamentary staffer and policy advisor, before joining the Climate Change Commission to work on sustainable waste usage.[5] He served as chief climate change advisor for the Otago Regional Council before entering parliament.[5]
Entry into Parliament
Hernandez was announced as the Green Party's Dunedin candidate for the 2023 general election on 3 February 2023. He came third in the electorate and his list placement was not sufficient to make it into parliament. In 2024 he will likely enter parliament following the retirement of James Shaw. Initially Lawrence Xu-Nan was set to be Shaw's replacement, however Xu-Nan entered parliament sooner than expected after the sudden death of Efeso Collins.[10][11]
References
- ^ a b Hewson, Laura (21 February 2013). "Political nous". www.otago.ac.nz. Otago Magazine. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ "Francisco Hernandez". policy.nz. The Spinoff.
- ^ "White supremacist Philip Arps attacks new Green Party candidate Francisco Hernandez". Newshub.
- ^ a b c Mathias, Shanti (3 October 2023). "The 'two-horse race' for deep red Dunedin". The Spinoff. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Ex-OUSA head to run for Greens". 6 February 2023.
- ^ "Race for public office begins". Otago Daily Times Online News. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ "2013 - Dunedin City Council Final Results". Dunedin City Council. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ Elder, Vaughan (5 November 2013). "Seeking a national role". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ Smith, Simon; Pratt, Ciara (1 September 2016). "The issues in Henderson-Massey this election". Western Leader. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Fa'anānā Efeso Collins' death brings another new Green MP to Parliament". RNZ. 22 February 2024.
- ^ Peter Wilson (23 February 2024). "Week in Politics: Luxon stands out, benefit action under scrutiny and grief over Efeso Collins". RNZ. Retrieved 16 March 2024.