Economist and trade unionist Craig Renney has been selected as Labour’s Wellington Bays candidate for the 2026 general election.
The electorate is a new one after an adjustment of names and boundaries confirmed by the Representation Commission in August. Wellington Bays is currently the Rongotai electorate, held by Julie Anne Gentre of the Green Party.
In a statement released today, Renney said it was “a privilege” to be chosen, and his campaign would focus on housing, health, jobs and the cost of living.
“I grew up in a working-class family in Northumberland, UK. I saw first-hand what happens when communities are left behind, and I have been working hard to make sure we stop that happening here.”
Renney, currently the economist and director of policy at the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, previously worked as a senior economic advisor to then-Finance Minister Grant Robertson, helping design policies during Labour-led governments.
His public-sector experience also included work at New Zealand’s Treasury, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
He has two Master’s degrees – one in Public Administration and another in Urban Policy & Sustainable Regeneration.