# MP Profile: Catherine Wedd β€” National Party (Tukituki) **Profile date:** 9 June 2026 **Source of data:** Public records, Parliament.nz, NZ Herald, RNZ, Wikipedia, National Party website, Register of Pecuniary Interests, social media, Hansard records **Status:** βœ… Complete --- ## Current Roles | Role | Detail | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Electorate** | Tukituki (Hawke's Bay) | | **Party** | New Zealand National Party | | **List rank (2023)** | 23 | | **2023 majority** | 10,118 votes (defeated Anna Lorck, Labour) | | **Parliamentary Private Secretary** | Cyclone Recovery, to Minister Mark Mitchell | | **Select Committee Chair** | Environment Select Committee (current) | | **Former roles** | Deputy Chair, Finance and Expenditure Committee (Dec 2023 – Jan 2025); Member, Primary Production Committee (Dec 2023) | | **Cross-party chair** | New Zealand Population and Development Committee (sexual/reproductive health and rights in the Pacific) | | **International role** | Vice Chair, Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) β€” Pacific Region; Chair, AFPPD Standing Committee on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment | --- ## Relevance Score: 🟒 LOW ### Explanation Catherine Wedd is a first-term backbench MP with **no ministerial portfolios** and **no party spokesperson roles** on health, social development, housing, seniors, or disability. Her committee assignments (Environment, Finance and Expenditure, Primary Production) have no direct connection to ageing or seniors policy. She has not sponsored any legislation or made major statements on NZ Super, retirement villages, dementia, elder abuse, disability support, carers, or palliative care. **Tenuous connections to seniors-relevant issues:** - Has visited retirement villages in her electorate and expressed awareness of residents' concerns about health and crime - Advocated for Hawke's Bay Hospital redevelopment (all-ages healthcare infrastructure) - Referenced "ageing population" in discussing the National Infrastructure Plan - Budget 2026 included SuperGold Card support, which she promoted as part of the wider Budget package These are standard electorate-level activities and Government cheerleading rather than targeted policy work or advocacy on seniors issues. --- ## Public Background | Detail | Source | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | | Born and raised in Taumarunui; attended Ohura Area, Tokirima, Turaki, Nga Tawa schools | Wikipedia | | **BA/LLB** (Political Science, English) and **Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism**, University of Canterbury | National Party website | | Former TV reporter for **TVNZ** and **BBC London** | National Party website | | Former marketing executive at **Bostock New Zealand** (horticulture) β€” business director and senior marketing executive | National Party website | | Former director, **New Zealand Apples and Pears Board** | National Party website | | Previously worked at **Attn Marketing PR** with predecessor Anna Lorck (both joint directors) | Wikipedia | | Former school board of trustees member | National Party website | | Grandfather: **Bill Tolhurst**, National MP for Whanganui (1969–1972) | Wikipedia | --- ## Public Positions Relevant to Older New Zealanders | Issue | Position | Source | Date | | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- | | Hawke's Bay Hospital redevelopment | Welcomed Budget 2026 funding for design/early works; part of $680M+ national hospital infrastructure package; "This marks an important step forward for the future of Hawke's Bay Hospital" | Wedd's Weekly (national.org.nz) [(link)](https://www.national.org.nz/news/260529-catherinewedd) | 29 May 2026 | | Hospital investment for ageing population | "lifting hospital investment for an ageing population – Health New Zealand now has a long-term capital infrastructure plan" | Facebook video post [(link)](https://www.facebook.com/catherineweddfortukituki/videos/1193730389255662/) | 2025/2026 | | Health system concerns | Visited Gracelands Retirement Village; residents "concerned about... a health system on its knees" | Facebook post [(link)](https://www.facebook.com/catherineweddfortukituki/posts/211141775230010/) | Undated (2024/2025) | | Crime/safety | Discussed rising crime concerns with retirement village residents | Facebook post (same as above) | Undated | | Kaweka Hospital (private) | Opened new private hospital in Hawke's Bay β€” "first new hospital in 20 years" β€” performing thousands more surgeries locally | LinkedIn/National Party [(link)](https://www.national.org.nz/news/250723-wedds-weekly) | Jul 2025 | | SuperGold Card support | Budget 2026 included "additional support for older New Zealanders" via SuperGold Card | Wedd's Weekly (national.org.nz) [(link)](https://www.national.org.nz/news/260529-catherinewedd) | 29 May 2026 | | Cyclone recovery/housing | Advocated for cyclone-affected communities; stopbank construction milestone; raised concerns about displaced families | Wedd's Weekly (multiple); RNZ [(link)](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500427/cyclone-hit-growers-hoping-for-fresh-approaches-from-new-mps) | 2023–2026 | ### Issues with **no clear public position found**: - NZ Superannuation (age of eligibility, rate, indexation) - Retirement village regulation and operator conduct - Dementia care and dementia strategy - Disability support services - Carer support and respite care - Elder abuse prevention - Palliative care and end-of-life choices - Assisted dying (End of Life Choice Act) - Aged residential care funding and staffing - Home support services for older people - Winter Energy Payment > **Assessment:** No clear public position found on seniors-specific issues beyond generic healthcare infrastructure advocacy that benefits all age groups. --- ## Parliamentary Activity ### Members' Bills Sponsored (3 drawn from ballot) | Bill | Status | Summary | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (3 Day Postnatal Stay) Amendment Bill** | First reading passed; $34.4M funded in Budget 2026 | Entitles mothers to minimum 72-hour postnatal inpatient stay (up from 48 hours); progressive rollout over 3 years. Influenced by Wedd's own traumatic birth experience. | | **Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill** | Introduced; awaiting support | Would mandate social media platforms to verify age and prevent under-16s from creating accounts. PM Luxon wants cross-party support; ACT refused; Labour Leader Hipkins expressed interest. | | **Crimes (Impeding Major Bridges, Tunnels, and Roads) Amendment Bill** | Drawn May 2026 | Creates an offence for damaging or obstructing major roads, bridges, or tunnels. | ### Select Committee Membership | Committee | Role | Period | | ----------------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------------- | | Environment | **Chairperson** | Jan 2025 – present | | Finance and Expenditure | Deputy Chairperson (then Member) | Dec 2023 – Jan 2025 | | Primary Production | Member | Dec 2023 (briefly) | ### Oral Questions (known examples) | Question to | Topic | Date | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ----------- | | Minister for Infrastructure | Reports on infrastructure | 9 Dec 2025 | | Minister responsible for RMA Reform | RMA reform progress | 19 Nov 2025 | | Minister of Immigration | Immigration matters | 2024/2025 | | Minister of Finance | Budget 2026 | 2026 | _Sources: Apple Podcasts metadata (RNZ Parliament live stream), Hansard references_ ### Maiden Speech (Dec 2023) Three priorities for Hawke's Bay: 1. Four-lane expressway (Hastings–Napier) 2. New Hawke's Bay Hospital 3. Water storage Also challenged her party: "I will ensure I will always back provincial New Zealand. I won't accept mediocrity." --- ## Declared Interests (Register of Pecuniary Interests) **Summary as at 31 January 2025** (54th Parliament, second summary): | Category | Detail | Source | | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | **Real property** | Family home – Wellington (electorate/second home) | Parliament.nz register | | **Retirement scheme** | ANZ KiwiSaver | Parliament.nz register | | **Other employment/income** | Apiary management fee (bee-keeping) β€” declared for 2023/2024 | The Spinoff / Democracy Project / Bryce Edwards analysis | | **Property search** | Also noted as likely having a Hastings-area property (electorate base); full details not extracted from PDF | Parliament.nz register | **Note:** The full register PDF was very large and some detail could not be extracted. Neither property trusts, significant shareholdings, nor directorships in health/aged-care/housing entities were identified in available extracts. No interests in retirement village operators, aged care providers, or health insurers found in public summaries. _Sources: [Register of Pecuniary Interests 2025 (PDF)](https://www3.parliament.nz/media/11939/register-of-pecuniary-and-other-specified-interests-of-members-of-parliament-summary-of-annual-returns-as-at-31-january-2025.pdf); [Democracy Project analysis](https://democracyproject.nz/2024/05/24/bryce-edwards-mps-financial-interests-under-scrutiny/); [The Spinoff](https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/24-05-2024/what-i-learned-about-money-from-scrutinising-where-mps-hold-theirs)_ --- ## Business-Decision Implications **Limited.** As a backbench Environment Committee chair with no ministerial portfolio touching health, housing, social development, or seniors, Catherine Wedd has minimal direct influence on policy decisions affecting older New Zealanders. She is: - A reliable National Party vote on legislation - A constituency-focused MP whose priorities (cyclone recovery, horticulture, transport, water storage) do not intersect with aged care or seniors policy - Potentially influential on environment/resource management legislation that could affect retirement village development or aged-care facility consenting (via the Environment Committee) **Key point:** Her Policyε’ŒδΈͺδΊΊ interests do not present conflicts or opportunities related to aged care, retirement villages, health insurance, or disability services. --- ## Campaign Relevance - Confirmed as National Party candidate for Tukituki for the **2026 general election** (announced pre-Budget 2026) - Second-term re-election is considered likely given her 10,118-vote margin (safe National seat) - Her campaign will likely emphasise: Hawke's Bay Expressway progress, hospital upgrades, postnatal care bill, water security, and local economic growth - **Not a target seat for seniors-focused advocacy** unless a local aged-care issue emerges - Age profile of Tukituki: Hawke's Bay region has an above-average share of residents aged 65+; this is a demographic both major parties will address generically --- ## Monitoring Terms Low-priority monitoring. Track if she: - [ ] Assumes a spokesperson role on health, social development, or seniors - [ ] Joins the Health or Social Services and Community Select Committee - [ ] Introduces or speaks on legislation affecting older people - [ ] Visits aged care facilities in her electorate in a policy context - [ ] Makes a statement on NZ Super, retirement village regulation, or dementia **Suggested search terms for ongoing monitoring:** - `Catherine Wedd seniors` - `Catherine Wedd aged care` - `Catherine Wedd retirement` - `Catherine Wedd health` - `Catherine Wedd housing` - `Catherine Wedd disability` - `Catherine Wedd SuperGold` - `Catherine Wedd petition` --- ## Source List | # | Source Description | URL | Date Accessed | | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | | 1 | Wikipedia β€” Catherine Wedd | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Wedd | 9 Jun 2026 | | 2 | National Party β€” Catherine Wedd profile | https://www.national.org.nz/team/catherinewedd | 9 Jun 2026 | | 3 | NZ Parliament β€” Catherine Wedd page | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/wedd-catherine/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 4 | Wedd's Weekly 29 May 2026 (Budget 2026) | https://www.national.org.nz/news/260529-catherinewedd | 9 Jun 2026 | | 5 | NZ Herald β€” Wedd confirmed as 2026 candidate | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/catherine-wedd-confirmed-as-nationals-tukituki-candidate-for-2026-election/4X4WTDUBYVDHFEJABLOLUEALIY/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 6 | NZ Herald β€” Maiden speeches | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/watch-mike-butterick-mp-for-wairarapa-and-catherine-wedd-mp-for-tukituki-give-maiden-speeches-to-parliament/4BAEICILCJA77BNRCW2RGLWGWE/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 7 | NZ Herald β€” Wedd opinion: Plenty of positive action for Hawke's Bay | https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/central-hawkes-bay-mail/catherine-wedd-plenty-of-positive-action-for-hawkes-bay/L7RQAX5IDNFOVCE6NI3P5P4SIU/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 8 | RNZ β€” Cyclone-hit growers hoping for fresh approaches (includes Wedd quotes) | https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/500427/cyclone-hit-growers-hoping-for-fresh-approaches-from-new-mps | 9 Jun 2026 | | 9 | Democracy Project β€” Bryce Edwards: MPs' financial interests (cites Wedd's apiary fee) | https://democracyproject.nz/2024/05/24/bryce-edwards-mps-financial-interests-under-scrutiny/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 10 | The Spinoff β€” What I learned about money from scrutinising where MPs hold theirs (cites Wedd's apiary fee) | https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/24-05-2024/what-i-learned-about-money-from-scrutinising-where-mps-hold-theirs | 9 Jun 2026 | | 11 | Register of Pecuniary Interests 2025 (PDF) β€” Parliament.nz | https://www3.parliament.nz/media/11939/register-of-pecuniary-and-other-specified-interests-of-members-of-parliament-summary-of-annual-returns-as-at-31-january-2025.pdf | 9 Jun 2026 | | 12 | Register of Pecuniary Interests 2024 (PDF) β€” Parliament.nz | https://www.parliament.nz/media/11719/register-of-pecuniary-interests-of-members-of-parliament-2024.pdf | 9 Jun 2026 | | 13 | Facebook β€” Catherine Wedd at Gracelands Retirement Village | https://www.facebook.com/catherineweddfortukituki/posts/211141775230010/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 14 | Facebook β€” Catherine Wedd on infrastructure/ageing population | https://www.facebook.com/catherineweddfortukituki/videos/1193730389255662/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 15 | RNZ Parliament podcast β€” Oral Questions metadata (9 Dec 2025) | https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/parliament-live-stream-and-question-time/id208013359 | 9 Jun 2026 | | 16 | Environment Committee β€” Parliament.nz | https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/environment/ | 9 Jun 2026 | | 17 | Parliament Pulse β€” Catherine Wedd profile | https://parliamentpulse.co.nz/mpprofile?id=68dfcbe37b685fe37c5bfe3a | 9 Jun 2026 | | 18 | Climate Commission response letter to Wedd (Environment Chair) | https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/assets/Advice-to-govt-docs/other-documents/2025-07-28-Response-to-Environment-Select-Committee-re-PCE-Report-on-ERP1-Development.pdf | 9 Jun 2026 | | 19 | National Party β€” Social Media Members Bill announcement | https://www.national.org.nz/news/20250506-catherineweddmembersbillunder16socialmedia | 9 Jun 2026 | | 20 | Social Media (Age-Restricted Users) Bill β€” Legislation.govt.nz | https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/member/2025/0216/4.0/whole.html | 9 Jun 2026 | | 21 | Wedd's Weekly 21 May 2026 (third Members' Bill) | https://www.national.org.nz/news/260522-catherinewedd | 9 Jun 2026 | | 22 | LinkedIn β€” Wedd opening Kaweka Hospital | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/catherine-wedd-9803b667_a-special-moment-to-open-kaweka-hospital-activity-7350461126058389505-LQGo | 9 Jun 2026 | | 23 | National Party β€” Kaweka Hospital opening | https://www.national.org.nz/news/250723-wedds-weekly | 9 Jun 2026 | | 24 | Facebook β€” Wedd's interview with Hawke's Bay App | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAMNQRKev5Q | 9 Jun 2026 | | 25 | Policy.nz β€” Catherine Wedd candidate profile (2023) | https://policy.nz/2023/tukituki-electorate/candidates/catherine-wedd | 9 Jun 2026 | | 26 | RNZ β€” Resourcing concerns on 3-day postnatal stay bill | https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/545702/resourcing-concerns-raised-as-new-bill-proposes-three-day-hospital-stay-for-mothers-newborns | 9 Jun 2026 | --- _Profile compiled by automated cron research. For corrections or additions, refer to the MP Master Tracker._