Experienced legal advocate, community leader, and political campaigner Donna Pokere-Phillips has officially announced her parliamentary candidacy for the Hamilton West electorate with the Freedom Party (NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party), bringing a lifelong commitment to whānau, whenua, justice, and accountable government directly to the local community.
Born in Taranaki with deep whakapapa connections to Tainui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and the iwi of Taranaki, Donna’s grounding in her culture and community has profoundly shaped her dedication to public service. Holding an LLB and an LLM (Hons) from the University of Waikato, her extensive professional background spans law, Māori resource and environmental management, policy, governance, facilitation, project management, business, and over a decade co-owning a transport enterprise.
For years, Donna has stood alongside everyday people outside of Parliament, navigating complex legal and government systems, examining evidence, asking the hard questions, and ensuring marginalised voices are heard. Her advocacy work has encompassed complex Māori land matters, supporting individuals who experienced abuse in state care, mentoring rangatahi, and assisting whānau to effectively engage with major government agencies and institutions.
Reflecting on her decision to contest Hamilton West and take her grassroots advocacy into Parliament, Donna emphasized that true representative democracy must prioritize the people on the ground:
“Good representation begins with listening, understanding how policy decisions affect everyday lives, and having the courage to challenge systems when they fail to work fairly,” said Donna.
“Democracy belongs to the people, not bureaucracies. The residents of Hamilton West and New Zealanders everywhere deserve a government that is genuinely accountable, transparent, and respectful of our fundamental civil rights and freedoms.”
As a married mother of five adult children and a proud grandmother, Donna’s vision for the country is driven by a desire to secure a fair, prosperous, and free future for the next generations.
Her campaign will centre on restoring government accountability, promoting meaningful direct democracy, and empowering Hamilton West voters to reclaim a genuine voice in the decisions that impact their communities and livelihoods.
