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You may know her as the Labour MP who led New Zealand's journey to achieving marriage equality. And although we may consider that as her crowning achievement, Louisa Wall has been an advocate for the marginalised in other hot button issues long before she submitted her Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill in May 2012.
Wall was an accomplished sportswoman from the late 80s to the early 90s. In 1989, at the age of 17, she was selected for Silver Ferns, the national netball team. She played on the squad - even serving as vice-captain - until 1992. Aside from netball, Wall also represented the country in rugby. She was a member of the 1998 squad which won the Women's Rugby World Cup, and even received the award for Player of the Year in 1997.
Before entering public office, Louisa Wall pursued a successful career in social policy. She worked for several Māori health service providers, the Human Rights Commission, the Auckland University of Technology and institutions in the public sector.
Image credit: Andrew Gorrie, Dominion Post
Wall was ranked 46th on Labour's party list for the 2005 election, for which she was not elected. In 2008, she ran in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate, but lost against the longstanding holder of the seat, Māori Party leader Pita Sharples. Louisa Wall's placement on the party list eventually moved her up into a seat in the house in April 2011 after the resignation of Darren Hughes. During the elections later that year, she was elected as the MP for Manurewa.
At the time of her election, Wall was the only openly lesbian Māori in Parliament, and now currently serves as the chair of the Rainbow Labour caucus. The success of her bill through Parliament has elevated her reputation in politics, which she was rewarded for accordingly by her promotion to 16th place on the party list. This puts her in a good position to be on a potential Labour Government cabinet after the 2014 General Election.
Louisa Wall currently lives in South Auckland with her partner, lawyer Prue Kapua.
Image credit: Getty Images
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