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Parochial issues that may have featured in previous election campaigns are likely to take a back seat to the economy and employment in the Covid-era election on October 17.
All parties will be trying to show that they have the policies and the people to lead an economic recovery that could take years to deliver.
Labour’s support plan is all about job creation by assisting small businesses, entrepreneurs and job creators. It plans to implement a major support package to assist businesses to hire at least 40,000 New Zealanders whose employment has been impacted by Covid-19. There will be an emphasis on infrastructure projects that have strong social and environmental outcomes.
National is promising careful financial stewardship to ensure taxpayer money is spent in ways that are linked to clear results. It says it has the team to deliver responsible management of New Zealand’s finances to grow the economy and create jobs.
NZ First’s policies have a familiar ring – bring down immigration and another 1000 frontline police officers over three years because unemployment, as a result of Covid-19 and the economic slump, will bring higher crime rates.
The Greens are backing an agricultural led recovery with its Farming for the Future Plan. This involves reducing artificial fertilisers, a shift to regenerative farming practices, fair water charges and a national sustainability accreditation scheme. Its tax reform agenda includes a new tax on individuals whose net wealth is more than $1 million and the introduction of new income tax brackets.
ACT says it has a fully costed plan for economic recovery, which keeps the debt low, cuts taxes, and gets the country back to surplus, while keeping Kiwis in work. Its five-point plan includes a three-year moratorium on minimum wage increases, cutting wasteful spending by more than $7.6 million and delivering $3.1 million in tax cuts (reducing the 30% tax rate to 17.5% and cutting GST to 10% for 12 months).
Altogether, 17 parties are contesting the election, one more than in 2017. There are 677 candidates nationwide (534 in 2017).
The Field
The candidates standing in Kaipara ki Mahurangi are:
Pauline Berry, New Conservatives
Zephyr Brown, Greens
David Ford, Independent
Beth Houlbrooke, ACT NZ
Marja Lubeck, Labour (current list MP)
Callan Neylon, Social Credit
Chris Penk, National (current MP for Helensville)
Richard Reeves, One Party
Brenda Steele, NZ First
The candidates standing in Whangaparaoa are:
Kathryn Flay, Advance NZ
Fiona Mackenzie, New Conservative
John Davies, Sustainable NZ
Mark Mitchell, National (current list MP)
Lorayne Ferguson, Labour
Paul Grace, ACT
Tricia Cheel, Outdoors Party
Candidates profiles are presented on the following pages (see links below), the order was determined by pulling their names from a hat.
New electorates
Voters in the former Rodney electorate will vote in one of two new electorates this year – either Kaipara ki Mahurangi or Whangaparaoa (for electorate boundaries visit vote.nz). According to Electoral Commission data, just over 90 per cent of the 56,900 eligible voters in Kaipara ki Mahurangi are enrolled. In Whangaparaoa, the number of eligible voters is 55,700. Not surprisingly, most of the eligible voters who are not enrolled are aged 18 to 24 years. Only enrolled voters can vote in the election and referendums. Advance voting starts on Saturday October 3 and finishes on October 16. On election day, October 17, polling booths will be open from 9am to 7pm. Preliminary election results will be released from 7pm onwards on October 17, at electionresults.govt.nz The official results for the general election and referendums will be released on November 6.
Extra precautions
A range of measures will be in place to help keep voters safe at polling stations, including using hand sanitiser on the way in and out of voting places, managing queues, and increasing the size and number of voting places to give everyone more space. Voting will also open two days earlier than usual. People are encouraged to take their own pen to mark their voting papers, although there will be pens available. Special arrangements including voting by post are available for anyone who has to stay at home.
More info: vote.nz
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