NZ OUTDOORS & FREEDOM PARTY - Key Persons
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.
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!'
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.
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.
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.