Ram Parkash – Botany

Ram is a New Zealand citizen,he completed a Science degree at Canterbury University,

Upon graduation, he worked  briefly for a major Oil company, then attended Christchurch Teachers College and completed Diploma in Teaching.

While working , he studied part-time and completed Marketing, Management Science , and Financial Management Papers of the Institute of Management, and Licensee exams of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand.

He spent 23 years teaching in NZ Secondary Schools, rising to Deputy Principal. Ram’s teaching career took him from Christchurch to Timaru in the South Island to Bay of Islands in Northland, then to Whangarei , Waikato, and to Auckland.He also spent Three years with NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs , under international Teaching Division in Cook Islands.

He is currently a Business Owner and Employer,  member of Botany Flatbush Residents' Association. His community interests  included Membership of Committees, Branch Chairperson, Conference Delegate, playing and coaching sports, and Club Captain.

Ram had an early introduction to Politics during his Canterbury university days of abundant student protests against Vietman War and Apartheid.

Driven by his interest in Politics, he:

-Worked at electorate level as member of electorate Committee, Secretary, assisted in running election campaigns

-Stood as candidate for Local Body Elections- Botany Sub division and as candidate on 4 occasions for General Elections.

 

When MMP came in 1996, Ram was  already a seasoned campaigner,

He happily joined the newly formed United Party.

Subsequently stood as Candidate in the Maungakiekie electorate for the first MMP Elections in New Zealand in 1996,  and was on 10^th position on the Party List.

 

He was again a candidate in 1999 MMP Elections , where he was 4^th on the Party List, followed by being candidate in 2002 and in 2005 elections.

 

Ram stood for the Local Board elections in Botany Sub-division of the Howick ward in October of last year ,2010, and was also a candidate for the Auckland Council in the Howick Ward By-election.

 

Ram has several years of experience working within communities and understands happy communities build a strong nation. The Botany community has a good mix of ethnicities amongst its people, and believes we should celebrate this.

Ram states :

Upon election, his priority is to communicate, engage with, and listen to what the needs of our community are - both now, and in the future, because

it is important that MP’s LISTEN to People and CARE about what they believe.

 

Ram believes that our country’s interests and concerns must come before Party Politics, and United Future Party’s centrist position enables us to do that, i.e. keeping governments stable, working collaboratively, keeping right wing policies in check, and balancing the extremes of the left.

 

Further,  

Ram has travelled extensively throughout New Zealand from Cape Reinga in the North Island to Bluff to Tuatapere in the South Island in his 43 years of residence in New Zealand.

He also understands and relate well to our Tangata Whenua (Maori People) and to Peoples of the Pacific (having taught in schools in these communities)

He re-affirms the United Future Party Leader,Peter Dunne’s acknowledgement  that we ,here in New Zealand ,have a bi-cultural heritage  but  we have a  multicultural nation.