Vanessa Weenink is the Member of Parliament for Banks Peninsula, a position she has held since 2023 [21].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Weenink attended the University of Otago, including its medical school [17][18][16]. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a general practitioner [2][3], and according to a single reputable secondary source, she was a GP at Papanui Medical Centre from 2011 and is also listed as a co-owner and operator of that practice [4][15].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Weenink served as a medical officer in the New Zealand Defence Force Army [7][8], with some sources describing this role as that of an army medic [1] and others as a military doctor [10]. She is also reported, by a single reputable secondary source, to have acted as a triage team leader at the Pyne Gould Corporation building during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake [14].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Weenink held the role of Chair of the General Practitioner Council of the New Zealand Medical Association [19][23], having previously served as chair-elect of that body [24], and was also a member of the New Zealand Medical Association [9]. She is further reported, by a single reputable secondary source, to have been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners [25], and to have held roles as a board member of Pegasus Health [12] and as a member of the clinical governance committee for Whakarongorau Aotearoa [13].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Weenink was affiliated with the Labour Party from 2017 [26], before later affiliating with the New Zealand National Party from 2023 [27][28], under whose banner she was elected as MP for Banks Peninsula [20][21]. According to a single reputable secondary source, she has served as a member of the Education and Workforce Select Committee [22].