The question that most people ask first when they find out I’m involved in politics is ‘why?’ then ‘why a small party like UnitedFuture, why not one of the bigger parties?’

The simple answer is that I want to make a difference and you can’t do that from the sidelines. This is exactly the mantra of UnitedFuture which has lead the party to being involved in every government since 2002.

And made a difference we have – without UnitedFuture there would be no Working for Families, Families Commission nor Game Animal Council. Without UnitedFuture there would be no National Medicines Strategy, which is delivering more medicines to more New Zealanders. Without our steady hand New Zealand would have seen the unstable governments of the past and asset sales would’ve gone a lot further.

Our party has a vital part to play in New Zealand’s future, but to do that we need to be stronger and more visible. As part of this the board has taken on the challenge to grow the party membership and strengthen the organisation.

But this also means standing up for what we believe in and being proud of our party history and its future. We’re calling on members to step up and take part in an exciting yet challenging time for the party.

I believe that UnitedFuture has a strong and vital part to play in creating an environment in which future generations of New Zealanders will have the opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are or where they are from.

Do you?

Written by Damian Light, Party President and Interim Secretary