Dr Ayesha Verrall
Current list MP in the 54th Parliament; Incumbent list MP; infectious-diseases specialist and former Health Minister.
Stated priorities: Defend universal and affordable healthcare, including free prescriptions and other public health services; act as an active local MP and help young people see a future in Wellington.
Latest party-vote polling
Polls measure nationwide support for Labour, not this candidate or this electorate — no electorate-level figures are published in these releases.
Labour manifesto promises
52 policy commitments on file for the party this candidate stands for.
- • $20 weekly public transport fare caplabour.org.nz
- • Three free doctor's visits each year for every New Zealanderlabour.org.nz
- • Free prescriptions from July 2027labour.org.nz
- • Free maternity scans from July 2028labour.org.nz
- • Free cervical screening for ages 25–69 from 1 October 2027labour.org.nz
- • Three free doctor's visits each year for every New Zealanderlabour.org.nz
- • Free prescriptions from July 2027labour.org.nz
- • Free cervical screening for ages 25–69 from 1 October 2027labour.org.nz
- • Family Doctor Loan Scheme to create 4.5 million new GP visitslabour.org.nz
- • Job guarantee for every eligible graduate nurselabour.org.nz
- • Reduce family costs through three free GP visits, free prescriptions, free maternity scans and a weekly public-transport fare caplabour.org.nz
- • [Stuff news source] Support legislation banning social-media access for children under 16stuff.co.nz
- • Expand Apprenticeship Boost to support more tradies and young peoplelabour.org.nz
- • Back Māori into skilled work with Māori-led traininglabour.org.nz
- • [Newsroom source] Reinstate school boards’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti, take a less prescriptive approach to teaching, reintegrate charter schools and restore locally delivered healthy school lunchesnewsroom.co.nz
- • [RNZ news source] Fund climate adaptation through a mix of beneficiary pays, exacerbator pays, central and local government funding, with banks and insurers also involved; a fuller policy was still to be announcedrnz.co.nz
- • Use SolarSaver to remove the upfront cost of solar for homeowners, renters and communitieslabour.org.nz
- • [Newsroom source] Reinstate explicit climate-change teaching in science and social-science curriculanewsroom.co.nz
- • Solar without the upfront cost for homeowners, renters and communitieslabour.org.nz
- • Use SolarSaver subsidies and loan schemes to remove the upfront cost of solar for homeowners, renters and communitieslabour.org.nz
- • Make it easier for people to buy their first home as part of a broader housing plan focused on affordability, secure renting and additional supply; detailed implementation settings remain to be announcedlabour.org.nz
- • Put housing affordability first by making first-home ownership easier, renting fairer and more secure, and building additional homes; detailed implementation settings remain to be announcedlabour.org.nz
- • Introduce a 28% capital gains tax on profits from residential investment and commercial property sold after the 1 July 2027 valuation date, excluding the family home and farmslabour.org.nz
- • [RNZ news source] Economists said the CGT could reduce investors’ expected after-tax return and place gradual downward pressure on land and house valuesrnz.co.nz
- • Make renting fairer and more secure as part of Labour’s housing priority; detailed tenancy-law settings remain to be announcedlabour.org.nz
- • Simple targeted capital gains tax on investment property profits to fund healthlabour.org.nz
- • Reduce net debt to around 20% of GDP over timelabour.org.nz
- • Freeze fuel excise duty at its current rate for the full three-year parliamentary termlabour.org.nz
- • [RNZ news source] Reinstate the Smokefree Generation policy and reverse the 50% excise-duty reduction for heated tobacco productsrnz.co.nz
- • Freeze fuel excise duty at its current rate for the full three-year parliamentary termlabour.org.nz
Speeches and coverage
Stories and statements that name Dr Ayesha Verrall, updated automatically as they are published.
- 3 Sept 2026The SpinoffCandidate debateWellington North candidates face off on student issues
Candidate debate covering Tamatha Paul, Ayesha Verrall, Jonathan Pitts, Jessica Hammond and Taylor Arneil; ACT candidate Matthew Hague was represented.
- 2 Sept 2026RNZHealth policy responseLabour welcomes government adoption of free cervical screening
Ayesha Verrall said the policy built on work begun under Labour and urged adoption of its free GP visits, maternity scans and prescription proposals.
- 1 Sept 2026Newstalk ZBHealth interviewAyesha Verrall on guaranteed graduate-nurse jobs
Verrall explained Labour’s nurse job guarantee, four-day graduate roles and health-system staffing.
Recent Labour speeches and statements
- 2 Sept 2026Official party siteParty releaseNational's hiring freeze a travesty for our regions
Labour criticised public-health workforce growth and promoted its graduate-nurse job guarantee.
- 31 Aug 2026Official party siteParty releaseLabour to reform retirement village repayments
Bill within first 100 days to require repayments within three months and create dispute resolution.
- 31 Aug 2026Official party siteParty releaseNational turns flawed disability Bill into law
Labour said it would repeal the Disability Support Services Act and replace it with rights-based legislation co-designed with disabled people, criticising ministerial powers to alter eligibility and support thresholds without adequate scrutiny.
- 30 Aug 2026Official party sitePolicy releaseLabour will guarantee a job for graduate nurses
Election promise to offer eligible New Zealand-trained graduate nurses a public health job.
- 28 Aug 2026Official party sitePolicy releaseLabour is backing Māori into skilled work
Election commitment for Māori-led employment and trades training.
- 23 Aug 2026StuffCampaign launchHipkins unveils Labour’s 2026 campaign slogan
Labour formally introduced its election slogan as the campaign moved into its final phase.
- 28 Jun 2026YouTubeSocial media — Congress speechNew Zealand Labour Party / Chris Hipkins: Congress speech
Labour leader's full Congress speech launching the party's election campaign around jobs, affordable healthcare and household costs. Evidence: Official party video
- 27 Jun 2026YouTubeSocial media — Congress speechNew Zealand Labour Party / Barbara Edmonds: Congress speech
Labour finance spokesperson's Congress address on the party's economic and fiscal case for the election. Evidence: Official party video; Congress opening-day date