Meet The Team

Alan Simmons, President

Alan Simmons

Alan Simmons launched the Outdoor Party, reflecting his firm belief that the solution to much of the disrespectful and poisonous policies past governments have introduced to the public’s outdoor heritage and environment, is to get into the political arena and start sparring.

His motivation stems from a lifetime involvement in outdoors political issues. For instance, in 1975 Alan was one of three anglers appointed to visit Parliament to cement the “no trout farming” deal under the newly elected government. The agreement has stood the test of time.

And he’s sat on a number of national body executives, boards, NGO and management groups, including the NZ Professional Hunting Guides Association (at one stage as National President), Electricorp Environmental Management Board, NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers and the NZ Professional Fishing Guides Association. Many will know him through his website, the hugely popular New Zealand FishnHunt forum which serves up 10.5 million pages a month.

Some of his past involvement includes:-

  • In 1990 one of twelve appointed by the Conservation Minister to set up the NZ Fish and Game Council as per a new act of Parliament.
  • An elected Councillor for eleven years on several regional Fish and Game councils.
  • For twenty five years a ministerial appointee to the Taupo Fishery Advisory Committee and recently part of a four man team that undertook a Ministerial review of the Taupo Fishery.
  • An executive member of the NZ Professional Fishing Guides Association for twenty seven years and currently an executive member of the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers which represents the collective interests of NZ angling clubs.
  • As a free range hunting guide Alan was at the forefront of an emerging industry, an occupation he loved until it was consumed by Safari park hunting.
  • Author of the first book on Sika Deer Hunting. (“How To Hunt Sika Deer”) as well as starring in many overseas TV fishing & hunting shows. Alan’s latest book  “Born To The Outdoors” has already sold out and is in reprint.
  • Stood as a list MP in the 2011 and 2014 elections as a candidate for United Future and became president of the party leading it through a rebuilding process. He has since resigned so he could build a new party focused on outdoors values.

…………………………………………………………………..

Sue Grey, Co-Leader

LLB (Hons), BSc, RSHDipPHI.

Sue is a self-employed lawyer, strategist, mother of three (Sabrina, Sebastian and Ysabella) and lifelong adventurer, based in Nelson. Sue has degrees in law with honours, a degree in biochemistry and a degree in Microbiology.

Sue’s passion is inspiring, educating and empowering communities to help promote community and environmental well being and a fairer, more compassionate world.

Sue stands for:

1. Democracy, where people play an active role in decision making, knowing their views are valued and heard and enabling New Zealanders the freedom from excessive government and international interference.

2. Transparent representation and informed decision making will promote a long-term vision for protecting and promoting the interests of all New Zealanders and our children and grandchildren’s future.

Sue’s ground breaking and extensive legal career encompasses:

  • medicinal cannabis law reform.
  • challenging the legality of aerial toxin operations.
  • representing victims of aerial 1080 operations.
  • impact on electro-magnetic radiation on human health.
  • forcing publication of previously secret “NZ Guidelines for Judicial Conduct.”
  • Author of Fisheries Law.

Sue has walked, run, cycled, kayaked and photographed much of New Zealand, run marathons and ultra marathons (including the 67km Kepler Challenge) and traveled extensively, as a backpacker, with her children and for business, through much of the world. She is inspired by nature and the great New Zealand Outdoors.

Sue’s passion is inspiring, educating and empowering communities to help promote community and environmental wellbeing and a fairer, more compassionate world.

info@suegreytauranga.co.nz  

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Donna Pokere-Phillips, Co-Leader

LLB, LLM.

Donna Hoppeke-Phillips Donna firmly believes ‘māuiui te whenua ,māuiui te tangata, oranga te whenua, oranga te tangata.’  ‘If the land is sick the people are sick, if the land is healthy the  people are healthy.’     

Donna brings both passion and vision for Māori communities and individuals. With a  background in law and advocacy, she has been at the heart of community needs, using her skills and tenacity to ensure positive effects.

While living in the Waikato and parenting her five children, Donna gained both an LLB and LLM from Waikato University with honours.

Donna brings both a constructive and insightful grasp of what is required to bring long term health and wellbeing. She has a keen interest and understanding of policy areas which will bring the most effective and lasting benefits.

With one eye on legislation and the other on her people, she strives for results in key areas of health, housing affordability and reducing inequality, constantly watching out for the whānau and the whenua.

Donna prioritizes health and recognizes that medical equity is not health equity. ‘Frankly, the New Zealand government has kept the social determinants of health inequities off policy agendas for decades. The combination of cheap ultra-processed food, wage rises below cost of living inflation has produced New Zealand’s terrible health statistics.’

‘The legacy parties have ignored the fact that our government policies are driving our chronic non-communicable disease epidemic, and increasing our risk for worse outcomes from respiratory viruses which include COVID-19 and influenza. This is pure market failure. It’s colonization and extraction and we’re not only seeing it in Māori and Pasifika, we’re now seeing it in pākehā.’

‘There is no denying it, Māori and Pasifika have the worst health outcomes. It’s not just the problem of institutional racism in health care, nor barriers to the practice of Rongoā Māori. But what we also see is all young people having health conditions at younger and younger ages, which never happened to their ancestors. This is the result of environment, and governments looking away from the social and economic drivers of disease.

The New Zealand policy and scientific community constantly downplay and dismiss nutrition, and the voice of nutrition in New Zealand is alarmingly quiet. In fact, our environment is obesogenic. Only talking about medical equity continues to fail everyone, but particularly our young people. But when we are sick we are more likely to have multiple (comorbid) conditions. The costs escalate, they are superadditive, and risks of adverse harm from pharmacology accumulate.

‘Therefore, don’t confuse medical colonisation for true health reform – particularly for diabetes and mental illness. All Kiwis on increasingly higher cocktails of medical pills and injections is medical equity – but it’s not health equity. It’s a direct consequence of so-called leaders to protect health.

‘The government wants to compare us to small advanced economies such as Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden. But their children have vegetables for lunch. It is clear that adherence to a healthy diet is directly connected to capacity to pay for it.’

‘As a mother and nana, institutional policies continue to place barriers to Māori progress – but while for decades we have seen Māori suffer the greatest burden. Increasingly, we see policy arrangements that privilege big business, big tech, big food – the big extractive institutional interests – harm everyone.’

“I want my mokopuna to have equal health outcomes so they can be resilient kaitiaki for our New Zealand communities. That is my driver and that’s what I stand for and I truly believe as the Co Leader of the Outdoors and Freedom Party I have an opportunity to bring my moemoea (dreams) to fruition.”

“Together we can make a difference, together we can find solutions and drive policy and strategic thinking. Together we will lead our own oranga (wellbeing), together we will be part of the recovery, by you voting for the Outdoors & Freedom Party you can make it happen”.

Donna Pokere Phillips          beetit.solutions@gmail.com

Phone: 027 602 5011

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Catherine Gorza, Board Member

Born and bred in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia), I grew up understanding the culture was wrong – that 120 000 white people ruling over a population of 5million (with only the white people having the vote) should never have been allowed to happen. After 15 years of guerrilla warfare and the loss of many lives, independence was finally achieved in 1980.

The honeymoon lasted a few years, until the ‘Gukurahundi’ massacre of approximately 20 000 people in a government led ethnic cleansing, followed by government control of the press, freedom of speech denied and slowly but surely more laws passed which gave the president more and more sweeping powers that left us in a one party totalitarian state.

I felt the need to get involved to bring about change and was invited to work with the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace who worked to bring the perpetrators to justice, but this work came with huge risks to personal safety.

I left Zimbabwe for New Zealand 20 years ago, wanting a better life for my children.

However, I have been more and more disillusioned with the political parties in this country, the recent loss of our freedoms over the Covid19 lockdown, the complete disregard of the government towards issues that concern the people, their health and the health of the environment such as 1080, Glyphosate and 5G. The poisoning of our ecosystem is totally unacceptable, unethical and unsustainable.

The New Zealand Outdoors & Freedom Party have strong, socially conscious policies that promote true health (incorporating holistic therapies with conventional), true democracy (returning the governance of the country to the people rather than corporates), organic and regenerative farming, a move away from a debt-based economy and a complete ban on poisons, all of which I agree with wholeheartedly and I feel I can stand in my truth and represent the Outdoors & Freedom Party.

Catherine.giorza@gmail.com

Phone: 021 759091

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Bruce Abrahams, Secretary

Bruce Abrahams introduction

Hello, I joined the Outdoors Party a few years ago to try and help the fight against 1080.

Recently the position of secretary needed someone to put their hand up. I decided my input needs to step up a bit so here I am.

I think anybody reading this introduction will have similar values and concerns as me.

*1080

*Fluoride

*Covid response

*Covid consequences

*Democracy

*Accountability

*Health delivery

*The environment

Pick your own priority order and I still have dozens of other things on my mind.

My experience as an administrator is varied but extensive;

The first club I became a committee member of was The Auckland Speedway Riders club.

My work history begins with working in a big company in the pay office. Computers were being introduced and ours took up a house! We ran dual manual and computer systems, exciting times.

After my OE I became a factory worker and Union delegate, (engineers Union) I spent hours in the union library researching various issues. A major one was asbestos, another was acetone damage in an industrial setting.

I ran a small production company for Alex Harvey industries in my mid 20s and at the same time started my own manufacturing, wholesaling and retail business.

With children arriving I became a Board of Trusties member for two schools, one as parent rep and another as staff rep. I was elected as Parent Teacher association president at one of those schools.

I became President of the Taumarunui Rugby referees association and through that served on the executive of the King Country Ref , for a while on the National Provincial coaching and grading team.

I worked in Ambulance for 17 years, including stints as station manager at some areas around the Waikato district.

Like many others I have an interest in several things and attend a lot of meetings and gatherings.

My Wife and I now live on a bush block, self sufficient with power and connect with the world through satellite internet.

Our play time include sailing, golf and Motor bikes.

0274 676155

secretary@outdoorsparty.co.nz

Owhango, Ruapehu

All correspondence to:

C/o 2 Patua Rd RD1 Owhango, 3989



Hine Afeaki, Board Member

Hinepawhero (Hine) Afeaki –

Growing up in in Mangere and among my Hapu in the Far North, while also having lived and travelled to multiple countries, I know different worldviews.

My desire for a better world motivated me to complete my Planning Masters when our kids were young. We have been immersed in play-centre, sea scouts and kura Kaupapa movements in our family journey.

I worked with my husband Tavake in his law practice for 12 years. I understand the nature of government, policies and monetary systems and its resulting disempowerment of people.

I have trained in yoga, tai chi, qi gong and shorinryu. I descend from a long line of gardeners and continue to garden with my 89-year-old mother.

I know about our body’s own natural healing capacity, our mauri and our relationship with the natural world. My skills are in voluntary work, teaching our kids and natural health.

Email. hine@afeakichambers.co.nz

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Aly Cook, Board Member

Nelson born Aly Cook, mother of 3, lived and married in Tasman for 29 years, has over 35 years’ experience in the entertainment industry, having toured globally with large international acts. She has worked on tours with acts like INXS, BB King, Petula Clark, Cilla Black and Pseudo Echo. Roles have included tour co-ordinator, publicist (including social media), event manager and concert promotor. Recently, Aly was publicist for the Tommy Emmanuel Tour in New Zealand in 2017.

Aly is a songwriter and recording artist. She has conducted songwriting seminars in NZ, including for the New Zealand Music Commission. Her albums ‘Horseshoe Rodeo Hotel’ & ‘Caught InThe Middle’ had 6 x number one singles on the Australian Top 40 Country Tracks Chart and on the International Indie Country Chart.

Her albums have spent time on the official NZ Album charts. In 2016 with her band she opened the Summer Concert at Taupo as the opening act for Melissa Etheridge, REO Speedwagon and Huey Lewis & the News.

Aly has always been a strong advocate for fairness in arts funding, and medical freedom of choice and has stood against the 1080 poison in NZ. In the 2009 election, as a candidate for Tasman district council in the Waimea Moutere ward, gaining the most votes of any woman ever, and missing out on the position by 502 votes.

Aly says ‘I have joined the board of the Outdoors & Freedom Party as their policies align with my values. We live in a different world now, one where my children were forced to take a newly invented medical treatment or lose their job. One of my children ended up in an ambulance after the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite 3 emergency department visits, because of this government’s grossly immoral health policies, he could not get an exemption. He then lost his job because he refused to receive this unsafe medication.’

‘I will not stand by and let our rights as New Zealanders be eroded away by an unaccountable – corrupt government. The 120 MPs sitting in Wellington have lost their moral compass. They did nothing to help our families, and many others have been through total hell, unnecessarily losing their livelihoods, homes, careers and their health, through being forced to take a newly invented pharmaceutical or lose their job. Not even the UK mandated its medical staff. What has happened here is wrong!’

alycookpr@gmail.com

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Outdoors Party Song by Seb Warren. “Our Country Our Voice Our Vote”

Our Country Our voice Song with images

Get our newsletters & become a supporter member