Labour stalwart wins selection to contest Christchurch East

Television producer Reuben Davidson will contest the Christchurch East electorate for Labour.

Davidson’s selection, announced on Sunday, will trigger a by-election as he intends to resign from the Banks Peninsula Community Board. He was elected for a second term to the board at last year’s local body election.

Davidson said on Sunday that he would immediately begin donating his community board salary to the Mayoral Relief Fund. As chairman of the board he is paid about $20,000 a year.

He could not say when he would resign, but said it would be before October’s general election.

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Christchurch East is considered a safe seat for Labour. It was held by the party from 1922 to 1946, when it was abolished, and again since 1996, when it was re-established.

The seat has been held by Poto Williams since she won in a by-election in 2013 and before that by former Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel, who held the seat for 14 years. Williams announced in December she would resign from politics at the next election.

Davidson, who is also chairman of the Labour-aligned political grouping People’s Choice, has worked as a producer at Whitebait Media for more than 15 years.

He bet four other candidates to win selection – Labour list MP Dan Rosewarne, landscape ecologist Colin Meurk, Melissa Lama and Teresa Butler.

Davidson said he was honoured and humbled to have been chosen.

“The east is a really special place. It’s a tight-knit community that has been through so much in recent years.

“I plan to work hard to earn the respect of the diverse communities that make up this area, and ensure their voices are heard loud and clear in Parliament.”

Davidson lives in Lyttelton, but he said he would be moving to Christchurch East before the election.

“My time in local government has taught me the importance of listening closely to what the community wants and taking action to deliver results.”

Davidson’s community board resignation will trigger the second by-election in Christchurch this term. The first involved the Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board, after Shreejana Chhetri​, resigned 17 days after being elected, citing personal reasons.

That by-election cost $75,000, but it was understood Davidson’s by-election would not cost as much because the Lyttelton subdivision, which he represents, has a much smaller population.

Meanwhile, Christchurch accountant and businesswoman Tracy Summerfield​ has been selected as National’s candidate in Wigram.

Summerfield, who was raised in Hornby, owned and operated early childhood education centres for more than 15 years before selling them in 2021.

She said she was excited to be National’s Wigram candidate and would get straight to work listening to people about the issues that matter.

“My top priority is addressing the cost-of-living crisis faced by families in Wigram. Paying the mortgage or the rent, or filling up the shopping trolley, is only getting harder.”

Summerfield, who has four children with her husband Gavin, has served on the Early Childhood Council board and is an active fundraiser for local charities including the Breast Cancer Foundation, the SPCA and the Wigram Lions.