Catherine Wedd
{{Short description|New Zealand politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Catherine Wedd
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MP|size=100%}}
| image = Catherine Wedd 2024 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Wedd in 2024
| constituency_MP = {{NZ electorate link|Tukituki}}
| term_start = 14 October 2023
| term_end =
| parliament = New Zealand
| party = National
| predecessor = Anna Lorck
| birth_name = Catherine Jane Loft
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|43|2023|01|22}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse =
| relations = Bill Tolhurst (grandfather)
| children = 4
| residence =
| profession =
| alma_mater =
| website =
}}
Catherine Jane Wedd ({{Nee|Loft}}; born {{birth based on age as of date|43|2023|01|22|noage=1}}) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament for the National Party. She was a BBC and TVNZ reporter before working as a marketer in the horticulture industry.
Early life
Wedd majored in English and political science at university, and then earned a postgraduate diploma in journalism. In 1997, Wedd represented ACT MP Patricia Schnauer in the New Zealand Youth Parliament.{{cite news |url= https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/news/news/catherine-wedd-selected-as-nationals-candidate-in-tukituki |title=Catherine Wedd selected as National's candidate in Tukituki |date=22 January 2023 |work=Hawkes Bay App |first=Astrid |last=Austin}} She was a journalist at the BBC and TVNZ, and then worked as a marketing executive for the horticulture industry.{{Cite news |first=Mitchell |last=Hageman |date=17 October 2023 |title=Wedd's thoughts with late grandfather as she writes her own political chapter |language=en-NZ |work=The New Zealand Herald |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/tukituki-election-2023-results-first-time-mp-catherine-wedd-follows-in-grandfathers-footsteps-vows-to-strengthen-horticulture-sector-in-hawkes-bay/4ENFFFRK7ZGP3BAT5FHQLZKQEI/ |access-date=17 October 2023}}
Political career
{{NZ parlbox header|align=left}}
{{NZ parlbox
|term=54th
|start={{NZ election link year|2023}}
|end=present
|list= 23
|party=New Zealand National Party
|electorate=Tukituki
}}
{{End}}
File:Catherine Wedd Tukituki electorate office in Hastings.jpg.]]
On 21 January 2023, Wedd was announced as the National Party candidate for {{NZ electorate link|Tukituki}} in the 2023 New Zealand general election.{{cite news |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/catherine-wedd-selected-as-nationals-candidate-in-tukituki/AA6SQQBUOVBTZIQLDKHU3CNPWY/ |title=Catherine Wedd selected as National's candidate in Tukituki |date=22 January 2023 |work=The New Zealand Herald}} She defeated the incumbent Anna Lorck, with whom she previously worked at Attn Marketing PR, with a margin of 10,118 votes.{{cite web |title=Tukituki - Official Result |url=https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-54.html |publisher=Electoral Commission |access-date=18 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123104119/https://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-details-54.html |archive-date=23 November 2023 |date=3 November 2023 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url= https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/national-candidate-catherine-wedd-focused-on-issues-and-not-tukituki-incumbent-anna-lorck/OI7JQJGPYFHOFJZ76X7TVMTXQE/ |title=National candidate Catherine Wedd focused on issues and not Tukituki incumbent Anna Lorck |date=22 January 2023 |work=The New Zealand Herald |first=Hamish |last=Bidwell}} Lorck and Wedd were joint directors of that company.{{cite web |title=Attention Communications Limited (1372925) |url= https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/1372925/directors?backurl=H4sIAAAAAAAAAFXKQQrCMBBG4dtk46InCCIqbroQK7geOj9mICZxMin29ipS0e33XlfoitpJYpmEG8WugnQM67vfkgWoJKwuYHaaI85zgd%2F0vXv9%2B2Ri81vqQjvRwcha%2FX8%2BdtDcyrcM4XclniiN4CMlRG%2Fa4G6Z4Rd3eBRKDD6htmjVPwFpkp6ztwAAAA%3D%3D |publisher=Companies Office |access-date=25 October 2023}}
During her campaign, Wedd criticized the government's response to Cyclone Gabrielle, saying perceived uncertainty about relief payments negatively impacted growers;{{Cite news |last=Du Plessis Allan |first=Heather |date=6 July 2023 |title=National's Catherine Wedd: Lack of cyclone relief clarity creates extra stress for growers |url= https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/catherine-wedd-national-party-tukituki-candidate-says-lack-of-clarity-for-horticultural-industry-over-cyclone-relief-extra-stressful-for-growers/ |access-date=17 October 2023 |work=Newstalk ZB |language=en-nz}} she elsewhere supported the deregulation of the horticulture industry. Wedd has expressed support for police crackdown on gang membership in the Hawke's Bay region, and has been critical of the education system.
On 6 May 2025, Wedd introduced a private member's bill called the "Social Media Age-Appropriate 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.{{cite news |last1=Pearse |first1=Adam |title=Social media ban: Act blocks National’s bid for Govt consensus on member’s bill |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/social-media-ban-act-blocks-nationals-bid-for-govt-consensus-on-members-bill/QADXWQUT3JCHDHFPDD4WXUMBOI/ |access-date=7 May 2025 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=6 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250507014200/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/social-media-ban-act-blocks-nationals-bid-for-govt-consensus-on-members-bill/QADXWQUT3JCHDHFPDD4WXUMBOI/ |archive-date=7 May 2025 |url-status=live}}
Personal life
Wedd's grandfather was National Party MP Bill Tolhurst, who represented Whanganui from 1969 to 1972. One of her grandmothers also stood for selection.{{Cite web |last=Austin |first=Andrew |date=2 May 2023 |title=Video: Family's political history and desire to service community led Catherine Wedd to stand for election – Full Interview |url= https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/news/news/video-familys-political-history-and-desire-to-service-community-led-catherine-wedd-to-stand-for-election-full-interview |access-date=17 October 2023 |website=Hawke's Bay App |language=en}} Wedd and her husband Henry have four children.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{subject bar|auto=y|d=y|Politics|New Zealand}}
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{{s-par|nz}}
{{s-bef|before=Anna Lorck}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Tukituki|years=2023–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{end}}
{{NZ National Party}}
{{Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wedd, Catherine}}
Category:New Zealand National Party MPs
Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Category:Women members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates
Category:New Zealand Youth MPs
Category:New Zealand television journalists
Category:Candidates in the 2023 New Zealand general election