Campaign dominated by cost of living, crime and climate concerns

They want your vote! Local candidates seeking to represent the Whangaparāoa electorate are, clockwise from front left, National’s Mark Mitchell, Labour’s Estefania Muller Pallares, Jeanette Wilson of NZ Loyal, Act’s Simon Angelo and Janina Massee of NZ First. Also standing in the electorate is Democracy NZ’s Craig Laybourn.

Every three years New Zealanders get to decide who holds the purse strings and represents us in the corridors of power. It’s a familiar and mundane exercise – but also a duty and privilege that shouldn’t be taken for granted; hundreds of millions of people around the wo...