Pictured: Georgina Beyer believes she is ready to step onto the wider stage. HERALD PICTURE

 

Beyer ready for rough and tumble

 

18.11.1999

 

By EUGENE BINGHAM

MASTERTON - Campaigning Georgina Beyer-style is something else.

Forget any cringe factor usually associated with walkabouts when a first-time candidate takes the well-worn campaign trail down a main shopping street.

There are no intrusions, fake greetings or breathless attempts to impress.

Instead, she stands and chats as townsfolk come up to her and talk.

Yes, Georgina Beyer is different in many ways.

Most obvious, of course, is the far-from-secret fact that she was born a he.

Next week, Ms Beyer hopes to become the country's - and perhaps the world's - first transsexual MP.

Having gained world headlines when she became Mayor of Carterton in 1995, she has already been through the process of having her private life very publicly aired. And she has endured the whisper campaigns.

All of which, Ms Beyer believes, has set her up very well for the rough and tumble of Parliament.

"I have had a lot chucked at me in my time, believe me, and if there's one thing I've learned it's how to chuck back," said the 42-year-old Labour hopeful.

For the record, Ms Beyer attended Papatoetoe High School and moved to Wellington before assuming life as a woman. A sex-change operation followed.

After a career as an actress, Ms Beyer settled in the Wairarapa and launched herself into community work, culminating in the successful mayoral bid four years ago. (She was returned, with an increased majority, last year.)

Now she is contesting the Wairarapa seat held by National's Wyatt Creech, who won with a 7867-vote majority in 1996.

This year, Mr Creech has opted to stand on the list only, leaving the seat wide open.

Polling suggests it will be a close race between Ms Beyer and the National candidate, former broadcaster Paul Henry.

Certainly, the voter recognition factor is in Ms Beyer's favour.

Canvassing at pensioner flats in Carterton this week, she was welcomed like an old friend, while in the main street of Masterton she could barely walk a few steps without being greeted by well-wishers and people she knew.

Among them was a man she had helped to sort out ACC problems.

"I have done a lot of work already in that social-work aspect.

"From my civic leadership point of view I've been helping out at the core of the problems in the area and meeting the challenges.

"I felt people needed a positive alternative to what National could offer."

Ms Beyer has thought long and hard about taking a step on to the national stage. If she is successful, she says, she wants to remain focused on the Wairarapa.

Pressed on whether she has ambitions beyond that, she said: "At this point, no, you have got to do your training.

"It would be foolish to have high aspirations."