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Open invitation
Mahurangi Matters invited all candidates contesting the Kaipara ki Mahurangi seat to submit a short biography of themselves and answer some questions relevant to the electorate. Only National, Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens responded. No correspondence was received from Democracy NZ candidate Sarah Brewer or ACT Party candidate Brent Bailey. Brenton Faithfull, who was announced as a candidate for NZ Loyal, but who is not on the final list of candidates, also did not respond.
Chris Penk – National
Chris Penk is a husband, father to two young children and owner of a dog named Barkley. In what passes for “spare time” these days, he follows the fortunes of the NZ Warriors and the Black Caps. Chris completed his secondary education at Kelston Boys High School, then studied at Auckland University, gaining a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree. He joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 2000, which included serving as an officer of the watch on the HMNZS Te Kaha. He also worked at Government House as aide-de-camp to the Governor-General in 2003. Later, as a member of the Australian Defence Force, he fulfilled his dream of serving on submarines and was stationed in the Northern Arabian Gulf in late 2007. After his naval service, Chris completed his legal training, which culminated in his admission to the bar in 2010. He founded his own law firm before resigning to enter Parliament in 2017, representing the then seat of Helensville.
National MP Chris Penk is vying for a third term in Parliament, his second for Kaipara ki Mahurangi. He is the Shadow Attorney General, as well as National’s Senior Whip and spokesperson for courts and cyclone recovery, and associate spokesperson for justice. If National wins next month’s election, Penk says he wants to see the government tackle the cost of living crisis, law and order, and the economy as priorities, and he supports targets in health and education to get better outcomes.
Apart from these national priorities, he says it is important to get infrastructure planned and built.
“Over successive governments, this area has been poorly served by the delivery of various infrastructure. The obvious one is transport, but also less obvious is extra classrooms in schools and good internet connectivity and mobile communications.
“In terms of transport specifically, Hill Street needs to be remodelled and rebuilt – and all credit to the local groups that have been working on this over many years – but we do need the funding to come through from local government to make it actually happen. I’d like to think it will happen regardless of the election result, but from a local advocate point-of-view, I’m determined that it happens.”
National has already promised it will build the four-lane Warkworth to Te Hana motorway. On climate change, he says renewable energy generation presents a huge opportunity to reduce the country’s emissions.
“In terms of incentives to make this happen, we haven’t announced any policy in that space yet, especially in terms of large-scale projects. We’re keen to partner with people who can see the economic value of doing this. But we need to remove the road blocks in terms of consents, which can take 10 years before the project can get off the ground. The process is so cumbersome and costly at present.”
Penk says National is also keen to explore waste-to-energy.
“There are examples in NZ and overseas of plants that allow waste to be incinerated in a way that is clean, with energy generation as a byproduct. That’s obviously a win-win for the environment. Plus, in an area where a lot of people are concerned about the proposed landfill at Dome Valley, it’s an attractive prospect to get something of a waste-to-energy nature to replace the physical placing of waste in the ground.”
On managing the impacts of sea level rise and more severe weather events, Penk said people in coastal settlements where there is proven risk, need to be incentivised to move.
“If we’re saying at both central and local government levels that an area or property is to be a Category 3* that means that it’s a voluntary buyout, but the expectation is that people will move because it is not safe for human habitation.
“You need to have a fair compensation for people in this position. At the moment we don’t know what the current government is going to do in terms of Gabrielle – we’ve said that we would closely mirror what they are offering so people have certainty – but it might be that, for example, they pay out a percentage less than 100%, or a full percentage but capped at, say, $2 million.
“None of this is particularly satisfactory, and I do get that, but these are big and difficult questions for the country.
“The key thing is that we need a sinking lid policy whereby we don’t build in critical places. Secondly, when there has been a specific event, at least don’t allow that particular area to replicate that damage.
“The third phase is deciding whether or not to proactively move people out on the basis that a 1-in-100 year flood might happen in 99 years from now, or nine years from now. We certainly won’t be in a position to buy out every $10 million property on the coast just on the basis that something bad might happen in the future.”
On the cost of living crisis and the role of community foodbanks, Penk says if local groups demonstrate the value they are providing – for example, a foodbank providing healthy meals means people aren’t drawing on health services because they are unwell, or truancy services because children are hungry and distracted – then there is a value beyond the social element that can be expressed in dollar terms.
Penk says his conversations with people convince him that what people want right now is for the basics to be done well.
“They want the country on a solid footing in terms of being able to live and work and get by and feel safe. I think there is a lot of skepticism about politicians making big promises.”
High-risk (Category 3) residential properties: A category 3 property is one where future severe weather event risks cannot be sufficiently mitigated. In some cases, some current land uses may remain acceptable, while for others there is an intolerable risk of injury or death from flooding or unstable land.
Guy Wishart – Labour
Guy Wishart is a Kumeu local who is a Rodney Local Board member, award-winning musician, science educator and a qualified horticultural consultant. Guy’s election pledge is to work on better infrastructure for an electorate that has seen large new urban housing developments without the corresponding infrastructure, such as roads, public transport and flood mitigation. As a member of Huapai-Kumeu Lions, Emergency Network and Kumeu Community Action, he has first-hand experience in understanding the key issues that concern locals the most. Other parties talk about developing large amounts of green space into housing, but a failure to spend on local infrastructure has already led to a deep sense of frustration for the residents of Kaipara ki Mahurangi. Guy is seeking election to build on the lasting local initiatives of the only current MP living in the region, Labour list MP Marja Lubeck, who is retiring after two terms in Parliament as a list MP.
Guy Wishart is stepping up to the plate for the Labour Party in Kaipara ki Mahurangi, following the retirement of Marja Lubeck, who lived in the electorate and was a list MP from 2017. Elected as a Rodney Local Board member in October, Wishart knows he has a hard act to follow in what is widely regarded as a safe National seat.
“Obviously I’m not running because I think I can win an electorate seat, that would be a very tall order indeed, I’m running to fly the flag for Labour, its policies and to represent the party,” he said.
“I was already on the Rodney Local Board, so already knew the area, which is very similar to the Kaipara ki Mahurangi area, and I was heavily invested in the community already in Kumeu.”
Wishart says the biggest challenge facing the entire electorate is the rapid growth that’s been foisted on areas like Kumeu, Milldale and Warkworth, often without adequate infrastructure in place.
“Kaipara ki Mahurangi is changing very quickly. We’re going to have so much growth, it’s going to change immensely quickly.
“We’re getting massive new housing areas and there will be a strain upon the infrastructure almost immediately – water, power, wastewater, transport systems, and so on.
“Labour is pushing to get more medium density or high density housing in the city, closer to existing transport hubs, and make Auckland a more intensive, efficient city, rather than allowing massive amounts of greenfield sites to be developed.
“Auckland should be more centre-focused rather than pushing out to the margins, where there’s not only a deficit in infrastructure, but a deficit in facilities like recreation centres, pools and art centres.”
Wishart said continuing the motorway north from Warkworth to Te Hana motorway was one of Labour’s 14 key projects in its 10-year transport plan, even if it might not be first cab off the rank.
“It’s definitely essential to continue that. I understand that it will be a much more difficult road to build, but the one that’s there at the moment is really dangerous for your main State Highway and it has to be done, though it could be a very expensive job,” he said.
He added that, contrary to belief in some quarters, Labour was not anti-roads.
“That’s a weird narrative – Labour doesn’t hate roads, we all use them, but the bias towards roads being the only option is a very limited way of looking at things. We need very strong public transport options as well, so we have a mix of projects.”
Wishart said that, unlike other parties, Labour was not shying away from bringing in an emissions trading scheme to tackle climate change.
“Labour is looking at pricing emissions by 2025, National is looking at leaving it for another seven years.
“It’s not something that will wait for you to get your economic problems sorted out. In many ways it has to be the top priority, because it has the ability to destabilise your whole economy, in fact to ruin it if you let it. So the argument that we’re too small to matter and that, if we wait a while and get things sorted out economically, then we’ll get on to the (environmental) things we need to do, I don’t know that we have enough runway left to do that.”
He said he knew it was coming at a terrible time for farmers, but something had to be done and everyone had to play their part.
“I know from speaking to farmers in our area, they know they need to change and they are progressive, top level farmers who are already doing a lot of the things they need to reduce emissions.
“It’s a terrible choice, but if the climate continues to change and cause problems to agriculture, then we’re going to be paying one way or the other. If we can’t keep a sustainable agricultural industry happening because of huge storms, weather events, droughts, whatever it is, the industry won’t be sustainable anyway, so we do need to do something.”
Wishart said Labour was vowing to continue to invest in more police and tackling youth crime.
“The ‘Labour is soft on crime’ idea is frustrating because being hard on crime means to National and Act locking people away or putting them in boot camps, but the evidence doesn’t really lead there.
“It’s a complex thing, it’s a societal problem, and Labour is attempting to use a holistic approach by increasing amount of police to identify the people doing these crimes, and to do some restoration for the victims, and try to find some way of helping the youth to get out of that crime cycle and into something more productive.
“A lot of these problems could be solved by better housing, more jobs and higher pay.”
Wishart added that if National were to be elected, it policy to overturn the foreign buyer ban would be disastrous, re-inflating and already sky-high housing market.
“That was the very thing that super-charged the market to begin with, along with immigration, so we’re heading straight down that road again and for a lot of young people the thought that they might just be able to get a house is suddenly going to pull away again.”
Zephyr Brown – Greens
Born and raised in West Auckland, Zephyr Brown whakapapa’s Ngati Whakaue and Ngati Pikiao from his maternal grandmother and Tongan from his paternal grandmother. He is an information and sustainability officer and shareholder in a $40 million turnover media company that employs 160 people. Ensuring the company’s security, the wellbeing of his colleagues and the sustainability of the company’s operations is what he does for a living. He believes in an Aotearoa where everyone has a voice and a democratic system where people understand that there is strength, not division, in that diversity. He is standing in Kaipara ki Mahurangi to promote the Green Party and its principles of ecological wisdom, social responsibility, appropriate decision-making, and non-violence. He believes that Green Party policies offer the most viable solutions to the climate crisis and ending inequity in Aotearoa.
How will your party make life in Kaipara ki Mahurangi better?
Our Climate Safe Communities plan will have towns with safe places for our children to play and move around safely; more green spaces that provide a place to relax and protect us from flooding; and be easier to get around on buses and trains, with services like free dental just a safe walk or bike ride away. Improved public transport (like trains to Huapai, bus ways on the north-west corridor) and increased roading maintenance are only possible if we can fund them. The National Party’s tax plan has a large pothole, the Green Party plan is fully funded and hole-free.
Is NZ doing enough to respond to climate change?
Over the last six years, the Green Party has done more to protect the climate than the past 30 years of governments combined. We have put in place the strongest climate plan Aotearoa has ever had, paid for by polluters. But climate pollution is not coming down fast enough.
Strong climate action means warmer homes that are more affordable to heat. Moving from imported petrol to clean local energy (brought from power companies that we, the taxpayers, own 51 per cent of) can save families thousands of dollars per year. The clean car discount has given that opportunity to thousands of families already. Rolling that back robs thousands of others from the same opportunity to save money.
What are the three key issues that you believe should be addressed in the government’s next term in office?
Climate – the time is now to prioritise climate action that builds thriving communities that work for people and nature, the next government must pick up the pace and scale of climate action.
Poverty – it is at odds with our shared values of caring for each other that children are going to bed hungry; families are struggling to pay the rent or mortgage and keep their homes warm; and students are forced to skip meals to make ends meet. The money we need to support each other is already there, but successive governments have decided not to use it. This is a political choice.
Housing – we will build 35,000 new warm, affordable homes in the places people want to live with incentives for developers and long-term construction and supply contracts. Everyone on the housing waitlist will have a place to call home in five years. We’ll provide a government-backed underwrite so community providers can get on and build new homes.
Which parties could your party work with to form government?
We’ll work with any party that supports the continuation and advancement of our climate change policies, while ensuring that the most vulnerable in our community are supported in a just transition to a low carbon economy.
The cost of living is the leading concern for many voters. What will you and your party do to help foodbanks and other community groups in this electorate as they struggle to meet growing needs?
Charities do amazing work in our communities, but forcing people to rely on charity is a political failure. The Green Party’s Income Guarantee ensures everyone has the peace of mind that we will be able to put food on the table, have a safe place to call home, and live a good life – and we’ll pay for it with a fair tax system. Ninety five per cent of Kiwis will be better off under our fully-costed tax plan to broaden the tax base so that the top one per cent pay a fair share. See how our tax policy compares here https://bit.ly/greens-fair-tax
Polls show fear of rising crime to be one of the top concerns for voters. How will your party assure New Zealanders that it can be trusted to manage this issue?
Bill English said that “prisons are a fiscal and moral failure”. Spending $150,000 per year per prisoner is not a social investment and prevention is always cheaper than a cure. Housing insecurity and poverty are major factors in the causes of crime, and we need to address those if we want to reduce intergenerational crime rates. Giving families secure homes where they can put down roots into communities and getting kids out of poverty will see a reduction in the disenfranchised young men that we see in our youth courts.
Jenny Marcroft – New Zealand First
Jenny Marcroft has lived in the Warkworth/Matakana area for the past two decades. Her daughter attended local schools and is now studying animal science at Massey in Palmerston North. She is a former MP serving from 2017 to 2020. Prior to entering Parliament, she worked in the media for 30 years, mainly as a radio newsreader. She has worked at a primary health organisation supporting GPs in the Rodney region and recently finished a stint in the Auckland Mayor’s office as part of Wayne Brown’s transition team. She is a member of the Institute of Directors and recently became a certified Life Coach. She says she is passionate about the Kaipara ki Mahurangi region but also aware of the issues people here face. “I’m proud to be your NZ First candidate for the Kaipara ki Mahurangi electorate.”
How will your party improve life in Kaipara ki Mahurangi?
The proposed rubbish dump in the Dome Valley should not proceed as there are new modern solutions for waste that will better protect our environment than a landfill in an area with high conservation values.
We support a waste-to-energy plant to be located in Northland as an alternative waste solution.
NZ First has always been a champion for seniors. We will ensure the age of eligibility for Superannuation (retirement age) remains at 65 years. We introduced the SuperGold Card in 2005, and expanded its benefits in 2017. We will fund residential care for our seniors which includes rest homes, dementia units, hyper-geriatric care and long-term hospital stays.
New Zealand First recognises the critical role of a thriving primary sector as the engine room of New Zealand’s economy as the earner of 82 per cent of our country’s foreign exchange. We will repeal the newly implemented ‘National Policy Statement” (NPS) to give farmers back their flexibility, adjust their activities and maximise economic value.
While the new motorway is fantastic, the state of our local roads continues to be a cause for much frustration and I’m committed to working with Auckland Council to advocate for our region on this and other issues including ensuring we have the infrastructure necessary for the planned population growth.
Is NZ doing enough to respond to climate change?
The serious weather events we experienced earlier this year highlighted the need to do more to adapt to a changing climate. NZ First recognised the need to implement climate change adaptation measures while in government between 2017 and 2020. The Taradale stopbank was upgraded with the Provincial Growth Fund and was instrumental in protecting Napier from catastrophic flooding during Cyclone Gabrielle. The Matawii water storage dam in Northland was built following drought in Northland that saw Kaikohe run out of water. Building climate resilience is an import climate change response.
What are the three key issues that you believe should be addressed in the government’s next term in office?
The cost-of-living crisis, law and order, accelerating economic recovery.
Which parties could your party work with to form government?
NZ First has ruled out working with Labour or any political party that promotes separatism or co-governance.
The cost of living is the leading concern for many voters. What will you and your party do to help foodbanks and other community groups in this electorate as they struggle to meet growing needs?
A recent survey for the Retirement Commission found that 55 per cent of Kiwis are struggling to make ends meet. Supermarkets have had record profit years since and during covid. NZ First will tackle the greedy foreign-owned supermarkets charging more for groceries here than they do back home and we will remove GST from basic food, including fruit and vege, meat, poultry and fish. We believe this policy will help support families make their household budget go further and help reduce the burden on local community groups who are stepping in to address a growing need.
Polls show fear of rising crime to be one of the top concerns for voters. How will your party assure New Zealanders that it can be trusted to manage this issue?
We need to restore safety to our homes and streets. If you want safer communities, then let’s get more police doing their real job on the frontline. NZ First has a proven track record on addressing crime with increases to the police front line in 2005 and 2017 – the latter being 1800 net police – also establishing a national organised crime unit. We elevated synthetic cannabis to ‘Class A’, ensuring that suppliers face increased penalties, and ensured up to 33 per cent of the Proceeds of Crime Fund went into battling organised crime.
Under New Zealand First, if you commit a crime and are part of a gang it will be law that it is an automatic aggravating factor in your sentencing. In addition, if you assault a First Responder – police officer, paramedic, firefighter or corrections officer in the course of their duty – there will be an automatic six-month minimum mandatory prison sentence.
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