For some time now, I've tried to put together an electorate voting guide for those with a libertarian bent. Whether you vote ACT, National or any other party you think will advance more freedom and less government, you know that with a few exceptions, it is the Party vote that is critical in determining the numbers in Parliament. Electorate votes are either in safe Labour, safe National or marginal seats, or in a few cases seats that are or might be won by a minor party (Greens, Te Pati Maori, NZ First, ACT or now TOP).
You can choose to not bother if you don't like any of them, but I'm suggesting that in most cases it is worth making a selection. A general rule of thumb is if it is a safe Labour or National seat, you ought to vote for a minor party candidate who is promising, or if the Nat is of a more classically liberal bent, then maybe vote for him or her. However, the seats where the Greens or Te Pati Maori hold or are likely to win, keep them out. Both parties are antithetical to values of individual freedom, less government, free market capitalism and Enlightenment values around freedom of speech and private property rights.
Auckland Central:
Chloe Swarbrick took this in 2020 and she will be confident she’ll keep it, but Chloe is a rabid socialist with a penchant for cheering on Palestinians who want to wipe out Israel. She’s also a complete control freak on alcohol, so we don’t need a neo-puritanical moral equivocator here. Removing the Greens from having an electorate is the most important goal here, so given it was a National seat for so long, give Mahesh Muralidhar from National a tick, to evict Chloe. He’s an entrepreneur, although he has a MBA, don’t hold it against him, as he’ll be better than Oscar Sims from Labour. Mahesh Muralidhar, National
Banks Peninsula:
Held by Tracey McLellan of Labour, there’s no point voting for a former union organiser and expecting less government. However her main opponent is National candidate Dr Vanessa Weenink who is a GP who has had roles in the doctors’ union. She seems better and has a chance, but if you want to give a libertarian a tick, vote for Laura Trask of ACT, who declares herself to be a libertarian. Laura Trash, ACT
Bay of Plenty:
Todd Muller is standing down, but this is a safe National seat and Tom Rutherford is likely to win. He seems like a nice enough chap but his background is experience in communications, media and local government. Haven’t we had enough of that sort of thing? Cameron Luxton is the ACT candidate, but he is number 11, so has a high chance of getting elected anyway and he’s a tradesman, so he’s of better use outside Parliament. Meh, give Luxton a tick so the Nats pick someone who isn’t a spin doctor. Cameron Luxton, ACT
Botany:
Luxon’s seat, used to elect Jamie-Lee Ross. Now Luxon is no libertarian, but if you’d rather not vote for a future PM, your choices are not great. Bo Burns from ACT says nothing to convince me she believes in less government, indeed being on the Howick Local Board is a bit of a red flag. Sure social conservatives could support Dieuwe de Boer from the New Conservatives, but he’s no libertarian. No enthusiasm here at all, but I’d probably default to Luxon, as he’s done nothing seriously wrong, yet. Christopher Luxon, National
Christchurch Central:
The sitting MP Duncan Webb (Labour) is an odious little creep who is well known for being a member of a Palestinian solidary Facebook group that tolerates rabid anti-semitism and Holocaust denial. It’s not always been a Labour seat, but it is morally compelling to vote for the candidate most likely to evict this socialist who is National candidate Dale Stephens. Yes he was a cop, and there is little sign he holds much belief in free enterprise and reducing the size of the state, but the imperative here is to remove Webb. Dale Stephens, National
Christchurch East:
Labour’s Poto Williams is thankfully standing down, with the new candidate for Labour being Reuben Davidson who seems tedious and uninteresting. National is offering Matt Stock, a teacher who seems nice enough, but Toni Severin from ACT, who is currently a list MP, is a better bet as she talks about freedom, school choice and less government. Toni Severin, ACT
Coromandel:
National’s Scott Simpson holds this seat and is almost certain to win again. He is a social liberal, but Joanna Verburg from ACT seems a better bet being more committed to freedom. Joanna Verburg, ACT
Dunedin:
With David Clark retiring, Labour is punting up List MP Rachel Brooking in this safe seat. She’s a former lawyer with a specialty in resource management law, so don’t expect a lot of belief in private property rights. Michael Woodhouse is the perennial National candidate who has only really a tinge of supporting more freedom and less government. However, ACT candidate Tim Newman is pushing for a tram through Dunedin, which isn’t going to come from private investment is it? So go for Adrian McDermott from the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party because well, he believes in something. Adrian McDermott, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
East Coast:
With Kiri Allan bowing out, Tamati Coffey as Labour list MP is having another shot at winning an electorate. He’s out of his depth and Rawiri Waititi beat him in Waiariki during a Labour landslide, so he’s useless as a campaigner and let’s not forget he sponsored the racist draft Bill (Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill) to give Rotorua District Counci Maori seats that required far fewer voters to elect Councillors than general seats. This himbo needs to be defeated, so although Dana Kirkpatrick from National is not compelling, it is worth to vote for her to kick this carpetbagger out of Parliament. Dana Kirkpatrick, National
East Coast Bays:
Erica Stanford for National is safe here, and whilst she has some passion for change that is positive, having been on the record that National could work with the Greens and being supportive of a School Strike 4 Climate, you would think you could better than her. Michael McCook of ACT might be promising, but he’s a tax accountant who wants more representation of small business at the government level. How’s that consistent with free enterprise and less government? Paul Adams of New Zeal looks no better, and Bill Dyet from New Zealand Loyal seems like a nut. Labour list MP Naisi Chen is likely to just be worse than Stanford. Honestly, I’d just not bother.
Epsom:
David Seymour is a shoo-in here nowadays but given his efforts to dilute measures to enhance the property rights of local property owners, there should be a review of the other options. Labour list MP Camilla Belich is a union lawyer, so forget her. National’s Paul Goldsmith isn’t inspiring either, being opposed to cannabis legalisation, even though he was brave in saying he thought colonisation was, on balance, good for Maori. There’s nothing inspiring in the NZ First and TOP candidates to support freedom (and NZ Loyal are lunatics), so you might give Seymour a tick for his efforts in standing up to a lot of abuse for having some very defensible positions. David Seymour, ACT
Hamilton East:
Hamilton East is a marginal and tends to vote National more often than not, although it is held by Jamie Strange of Labour, as a rare social conservative in Labour, he’s not standing again. Georgie Dansey is standing, she is a union chief executive, so there is nothing here about less government. Ryan Hamilton, the National candidate has the best chance, who is a city councillor (sigh) and a small business owner. That’s not particularly inspiring, but bear in mind this is a marginal seat, you may just want to keep Labour out, which is a worthy goal. If you want someone a bit more interesting, Himanshu Parma, who has a real passion for whisky, is the ACT candidate and is much more promising. We need more MPs with passion for alcohol. Himanshu Parma, ACT
Hamilton West:
Remember Guarav Sharma? Well he’s not wasting time and money standing against Labour again. This seat is held by National’s Tama Potaka who ought to hold it and has a fairly impressive business background. Voting for him to keep Myra Williamson from Labour (who has a Ph.D from the University of Waikato) is reasonable, given Susan Stevenson from ACT says nothing about freedom on her profile. Tama Potaka, National
Hauraki-Waikato:
One of the Maori electorates, you would think Nanaia Mahuta should be safe here given the tendency to vote for the family name. Mahuta is behind the push for co-governance and eroding liberal democracy at local government with unelected Iwi members, and she is uninspiring as Foreign Minister, having “both-sided” Israel and Hamas with her first comment on the recent brutal attacks. The excuse of it being drafted by MFAT is not being accountable. So I’d be happy if Mahuta lost, but look at the alternatives. The main challenge is Te Pati Maori’s Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Leaving aside the threats and home invasion story, Maipi-Clarke is notable for blaming other people’s ideas for the threats and she wrote a book on astrology. There’s no point voting for a young communist to replace one of the old guard who whilst flawed is much less dangerous. The third option may be tempting but Donna Pokere-Philips stood for Te Pati Maori in 2020 and stood for TOP in 2017 (and was number 6 on the list, which tells you a LOT about how useless TOP was in screening candidates) and in 1999 stood for the hard-left Alliance. She may lead the Outdoors & Freedom Party now, but who knows what she believes in other than opposing the Covid vaccine (which she apparently described as a bio-weapon)? Pokere-Philips might be tempting to be disruptive, but since she hops all over the political spectrum she can hardly be trusted. Just hold out and pick Nanaia Mahuta, Labour if at all to keep TPM out.
Hutt South:
This never really was a marginal, as it used to be considered safe Labour, but Chris Bishop changed all that. Ginny Andersen took it from him in 2020, and she’s hardly the worst Labour MP, but she’s been hopeless as a Cabinet Minister, and so it is right to vote to remove her. Your choice is Chris Bishop for National, who is indefatigable locally, or Andy Parkins for ACT, who claims to be in favour of freedom and personal responsibility. Bishop is passionate about enabling more housing to be built, even if he doesn’t have quite the right solution yet (there needs to be mandatory liberalisation of planning laws to build up and out, not leaving it to Councils who are the problem). He is a social liberal. Take it off Labour and pick Chris Bishop, National
Ikaroa-Rawhiti:
Meka Whaitiri’s seat which she has left to join Te Pati Maori, so she shouldn’t be rewarded for joining the socialist ethno-nationalists. To stop her you have to vote for Cushla Tangaere‑Manuel of Labour. Ata Tuhakaraina of Vision NZ (Destiny Church) has his own story of turning his life around, and isn’t a bad choice, but let’s be serious. None of these candidates will be advocating for more freedom and less government. The priority here is keeping Te Pati Maori’s ethno-nationalism away from Parliament, so it is Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, Labour
Ilam:
Feel relieved that Gerry Brownlee isn’t standing, but Sarah Pallett from Labour has to go. She’s just another unionist. Of course Raf Manji from TOP is standing here as well, but TOP believes in more state, more welfare and he is campaigning for pork-barrel funding for Christchurch. It’s like the public service has its own party. Enough of that, it is important to block TOP and Pallett, so give Hamish Campbell from National your vote, just to clear them out of the way.
Invercargill:
On paper this looks marginal as National’s Penny Simmonds won it by a small margin in 2020, but this is usually a safe National seat. Simmonds opposed vaccine mandates and opposed suppression of the speech of abortion opponents near hospitals, which might gain her more support than she would get otherwise. Scott Donaldson of ACT talks vaguely about freedoms. There’s no strong reason to oppose Simmonds, but her willingness to speak up on vaccine mandates is rare in the National Party, so I’d say Penny Simmonds, National
Kaikoura:
Another safe mostly rural National seat, held by Stuart Smith. Having been Chair of the Winegrowers’ Association wins credit in my book, but given this is a safe seat it is worth looking around for better options. Keith Griffiths of ACT is not inspiring, and David Greenslade from the New Conservatives is into binding citizens’ initiated referenda, so that’s out. The independents are either unknown or weird. On balance, vote for the wine man. Stuart Smith, National
Kaipara ki Mahurangi:
Chris Penk is National MP in this fairly safe seat, he is interesting because he actually speaks his mind. He is a bit of a social conservative given voting on euthanasia and abortion and transgenderism, but I’m not holding all that against him as the guy has a sense of humour. A lawyer who spent time in the navy is interesting sure. Brent Bailey from ACT is better than some ACT candidates in talking about excessive government intervention, but on balance Penk seems to deserve another shot. Chris Penk, National
Kelston:
This safe Labour seat is held by Carmel Sepuloni and she is currently Deputy PM. You absolutely wont want a prospective future leader of the party of democratic socialism, but you’re unlikely to unseat her, but Dr Ruby Shaumkel from National is smart and better than Jake Curran from ACT who says “public service is his calling”. We don’t need more ACT MPs who think that. Alister Hood from the New Conservatives talks explicitly about tax cuts, the doubling in the size of government, although localism is not individualism. You might consider Hood if you’re not worried about social conservatism, or if you want to narrow Sepuloni’s majority, vote for Shaumkel, but I wouldn’t bother.
Mana:
Barbara Edmonds of Labour holds this safe Labour seat, she was a tax lawyer and political advisor to Stuart Nash, so you’ll want to vote against her. Dr Frances Hughes is the National candidate, but there is nothing in her profile that suggests any belief in less government. Lily Brown from ACT is better, but you can’t go past Richard Goode from NAP (Not a Party) as someone who actually believes in individual freedom. Richard Goode, NAP
Mangere:
Another solidly Labour seat with William Sio standing down, so Lemauga Lydia Sosene is standing for Labour. She has a diploma in business administration and has been a local councillor, so is more interesting than most Labour candidates. You’ll want to take a stand against Labour though, so Pothen Joseph from ACT, who is loudly in favour of individualism is your best bet. Rosemary Bourke from National seems reasonable enough, but Joseph would be a vote for freedom. Pothen Joseph, ACT
Manurewa:
Arena Williams is Labour MP for this safe seat and she advances a greater welfare state. She will win again, but your choices here are slim. National’s Siva Kilari has a rags to moderate riches story that is worth endorsing to try to demonstrate that entrepreneurship not welfarism is the answer to advancing people’s lives. Siva Kilari, National
Maungakiekie:
Priyanca Radhakrishnan from Labour holds this marginal seat, which could easily switch to National. You wont want her to remain MP, so you might consider Greg Fleming, the National candidate who is notable for being a founder of the Maxim Institute, a conservative think tank. You’ll pick Fleming to pick up a win from Labour, and at that moment that’s a positive, but if personal liberty matters to you, you’ll struggle to vote for him. On balance I’d probably prefer to give Labour a bloody nose here than miss the chance, but if you can’t stomach Fleming, Margo Onishchenko from ACT would be your better choice. Margo Onishchenko, ACT
Mount Albert:
Jacinda Ardern is the MP not standing again, so you’ll feel less concerned about voting out Helen White who will win the seat for Labour (she is a union lawyer whose main redeeming feature is owning a dachshund). Melissa Lee is standing for National, and she’s been around for a while, but doesn’t even have a functioning profile on the National website. Ollie Murphy from ACT leads Young ACT and seems to support less government. Murphy if you want to bother. Ollie Murphy, ACT
Mount Roskill:
Little Michael Wood is safe here, but he’s such a little socialist that you’ll want to put this tiresome union hack in his place. Carlos Cheung for National was born in Hong Kong and is both a businessman and a medical professional.. Rahul Chopra of ACT says on his profile he is a board member for the Department of Conservation, which must be a typo. I’d be tempted to give Carlos Cheung the vote, because someone from Hong Kong is likely to be more free market oriented than most in the National Party. Carlos Cheung, National
Napier:
With Stuart Nash retiring in some disgrace, Labour is punting Mark Hutchinson, a management consultant, to replace him. On paper the seat is usually Labour, but this can be stopped, and Hutchinson’s weak class rhetoric is worth opposing. You should pick Katie Nimon from National who actually says “I have always believed that a limited government, and competitive enterprise, sees the most positive impact on communities”. Give National this woman for its caucus, it needs more of this. Katie Nimon, National.
Nelson:
Last election you followed me in ejecting Nick Smith, an enemy of private property rights, from this seat. Now it’s time to eject union organiser and big government advocate Rachel Boyack of Labour. Blair Cameron of National is uninspiring, but although Chris Baillie of ACT is better, the goal to get Labour out seems worth pursuing. Blair Cameron, National
New Lynn:
Another Labour safe seat held by Deborah Russell of Labour who was wholly unsympathetic towards small businesses facing ruin during the pandemic. She’s been hopeless as a Minister, although is moderately socially conservative. You want this tax expert who seems to love tax far too much to be out. National’s Paulo Garcia seems a nice enough chap, but ACT’s Juan Alvarez De Lugo is from Venezuela and is much more likely to be committed to freedom and free markets, so give him your vote. Juan Alvarez De Lugo, ACT
New Plymouth:
Labour holds this swing seat with Glen Bennett who seems reasonable enough, but Labour needs to lose. David MacLeod from National will do it, but Bruce McGechan of ACT is a far better candidate, openly classical liberal who believes in education reform. Bruce McGechan, ACT
North Shore:
This safe National seat is held by Simon Watts who is benign enough, but ACT’s Anna Yallop doesn’t inspire any better. Take your pick or don’t bother
Northcote:
Labour’s Shanan Halbert holds this relatively marginal seat, and whether or not you believe or care about the bullying allegations, he’s unimpressive, so needs to be defeated. Dan Bidois of National is seeking to win the seat back, and ought to be given the chance even though he is an economist. Dan Bidois, National
Northland:
This seat is usually National, so it is unusual that Willow-Jean Prime from Labour won it in 2020. She’ll probably get in on the list, but she’s a Te Tiriti focused lawyer, so is not going to be a friend of property rights and individual freedom. Grant McCallum for National is a better bet. You’ll want to avoid grifter Shane Jones, and Matt King (DemocracyNZ) has no chance and isn’t strong enough on freedom to counter that. Mark Cameron from ACT will get in on the list, and doesn’t say enough to differentiate himself from McCallum. So Grant McCallum, National.
Ohariu:
Peter Dunne is almost forgotten here, as Labour’s Greg O’Connor tries to hang on here in a seat that is probably the most centre-right of any in Wellington City. No-one who headed the cop union is going to be in favour of less government, so you’ll want him out. Nicola Willis of National has the best chance of doing this. I’ll give note to Jessica Hammond from TOP, because I know her and she’s smart, but if she wins she brings more TOP people with her, and that wont help the cause of more freedom and less government. I’d reluctantly back Nicola Willis here because she seems to have put her job on the line for tax cuts, so let’s hold her to that. Nicola Willis, National
Otaki:
Terisa Ngobi of Labour took this belweather seat in 2020, but it seems likely to switch to National’s Tim Costley. Sure he’ll be better, but ACT’s Sean Rush who was a Wellington City Councillor who did push back against a leftwing agenda there, so he would have been a better bet if he didn’t engage in shenanigans to promote himself whilst he was a Councillor. He made too many screw-ups to support, so you could vote for Bob Wessex, NAP if you want to be fully libertarian, or if you just want Labour out, vote for Costley.
Pakuranga:
National’s Simeon Brown is a shoo-in, as this is a safe National seat. He’s a social conservative for those who find that appealing or not, but what I like is how much he upsets so many people on the left. Parmjeet Parmar, who was a National MP, is now the ACT candidate, and while she is clever, there is little evidence she would be better than Brown. John Alcock from Rock the Vote NZ actually does seem to be more committed to liberty, but I’m always wary of people who want more local decisionmaking, because it just replaces central bureaucracy with local finger-waggers. I’d give Simeon Brown, National the tick to upset lefties, but you wouldn’t be wrong to give Alcock a tick for at least talking a lot about freedom.
Palmerston North:
This is typically a safe Labour seat, and the largely unknown Tangi Utikere is standing again for Labour. You wont want to bother with this ex.teacher, so Ankit Bansal from National (although he has a MBA) is worth looking at, given his profile is explicit about stopping wasteful spending. Michael Harnett of ACT isn’t inspiring, and there is no one else worth voting for. So maybe give Ankit Bansal, National your vote
Panmure-Otahuhu:
This relatively new seat is a very safe Labour seat, but the holder of it is the odious Jenny Salesa. There are sound reasons why she didn’t become a Minister after the 2020 election when Labour had an absolute majority, so you absolutely should vote for whoever can send her out of Parliament, as she should not be anywhere near power. National’s Navtej Singh Randhawa is the best bet, he is a businessman who offers the best chance to remove Salesa. Navtej Singh Randhawa, National
Papakura:
This has long been a safe National seat and Judith Collins is standing again. Mike McCormick of ACT talks explicitly about free speech and private property rights, so you should vote for him. Mike McCormick, ACT
Port Waikato:
Your electorate vote wont count this time, so just the party vote until the by-election.
Rangitata:
This usually National seat went insane and voted Jo Luxton for Labour in 2020. She’s a yawn and a half, so what else is there? James Meager of National will probably win, he’s a lawyer who seems to be keen on “drafting laws to make every day New Zealanders' lives better and more prosperous”. We don’t need that, but ACT is standing nobody here, and the only other candidate talking much about freedom is Michael Clarkson of Rock The Vote, but he is also keen on government not controlling what local authorities do. Karl Thomas, who is number three on the New Conservatives list doesn’t say much either. You might vote James Meager, National to give Labour a thrashing, but I don’t know if I’d bother.
Rangitikei:
A streak of insanity used to run through this electorate when it was smaller in the FPP days and Social Credit’s leader Bruce Beetham would win it in the 70s and early 80s. Under MMP it has been solidly National, but Ian McElvie is not standing again, so it is really whether Suze Redmayne for National is worth your vote. She’s a farmer so very much a traditional rural National MP. Former Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard is having a shot with ACT, and although he is a shoo in on the party list, I’d give him a go. Andrew Hoggard, ACT
Remutaka:
Chippy’s seat has been solidly labour since MMP formed it, although it came close in 2008. The only real point here is to give Chippy a bit of a fright, so vote Emma Chatterton, National.
Rongotai:
I live here now, and it is usually a safe Labour seat with former Wellington City Councillor Fleur Fitzsimons failing up to try to represent this electorate. Anti “car-fascists” Julie-Anne Genter from the Greens reckons she has a shot, and she might as the Greens scraped into second in 2020. Stopping Fitzsimons failing up is tempting, but Genter wants more government, more taxes and who can support the Greens when led by the odious Marama Davidson who equate Hamas with the IDF? Karuna Muthu from National is not very good at specific, besides a second Mt Victoria Tunnel (which Genter only supports for walking and cycling, in effect). I’d give Karuna Muthu, National a shot if only to frustrate the other two.
Rotorua:
Todd McClay of National held onto this seat barely in 2020. Besides a try at liberalising trading on Easter Sunday, there isn’t a lot of freedom advocacy here, he is moderately social conservative. Marten Rozeboom of ACT isn’t compelling either. Otherwise it is curious that Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is standing for Te Pati Maori, when she used to stand for Christian Heritage, but you shouldn’t vote for her. Meh, if you can bothered with Todd McClay you might give him a tick to ensure Labour stays out, but I wouldn’t bother.
Selwyn:
Safe National seat held by Nicola Grigg. She’s ok, but Ben Harvey from ACT says the “l” word (but not much else to back it up). You might give Ben a chance if you like, but there’s not much in it. Ben Harvey, ACT
Southland:
Another solidly National seat held by Joseph Mooney. He got into trouble for saying Te Tiriti promises Tino Rangatiratanga to everyone, which is an entirely defensible libertarian position. Todd Stephenson from ACT talks of being a classical liberal, so a vote for him would be fair too, but you could also vote for Anntwinette Grumball for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party instead. Honestly, you might feel a bit spoilt for choice here. Stephenson will get in on the list anyway, Mooney probably wont, so you might give Mooney a go, or just go out there and vote Anntwinette Grumball, ALCP
Taieri:
Labour’s Ingrid Leary won this new seat in 2020 and it is a safe seat. She seems to favour a wealth tax and although she is quite good on China, you’re not going to get less government with her. The rivals aren’t greatly inspiring, Matthew French from National seems benign, and Burty Meffan from ACT says nothing about freedom so why bother with him? I’d probably just tick Matthew French, National just to cut Leary’s majority.
Takanini:
This new seat in 2020 is a safe Labour seat held by Neru Leavasa. He’s a doctor and a rare social conservative in Labour. National’s challenger is Rima Nakhle, a business manager for an organisation providing community and transitional housing. You might choose to vote for her as she does mention wasteful government spending, but that’s the extent of it. Rae Ah Chee from ACT Is more committed to law and order. So maybe vote for Rima Nakhle, National although social conservatives could fairly vote for Leavasa given his views on abortion.
Tamaki:
A rare real battle between National and ACT, which is really a question of social conservative vs. social liberal. Simon O'Connor is the social conservative candidate, but Brooke van der Valden from ACT is the better choice. She ought to be the next ACT leader, and so give Brooke van Velden, ACT your tick
Tamaki Makaurau:
Auckland’s Maori seat is a bit of a battle. Peeni Henare held onto it against John Tamihere in 2020. Henare is far from ideal, but as in most of the Maori seats, this is about resisting the anti-capitalist, anti-liberal democracy, Russia and Hamas sympathisers in Te Pati Maori. Hold your nose, vote for Peeni Henare, Labour
Taranaki-King Country:
Solid National country with Barbara Kuriger. Given her history and the lack of other candidates worth supporting, I’d just not bother.
Taupo:
A fairly safe National seat held by Louise Upston. She is socially conservative given her voting record and unfortunately has a MBA. The other choice is Zane Cozens who is an entrepreneur standing for ACT. Like others, there isn’t a lot of enthusiasm for either, but you might choose Louise Upston just to keep a distance from Labour.
Tauranga:
One time bulwark of Winston Peters, Tauranga is now a National stronghold. Sam Uffindell we all know, and he’ll win again. You might feel strongly about NOT voting for him, so I’d choose Christine Young from ACT who has a more compelling background and story around being a self-starter.
Te Atatu:
This safe Labour seat is held by Phil Twyford, who will win again, though heaven knows why. The Minister for Disarmament finger wags to powers about how they should disarm, so you should send a message that Twyford should just go get a real job. Angee Nicholas is National’s candidate and she seems far more interesting than Twyford (how hard is that though, to be fair?). Simon Court from ACT would be a better choice, but narrowing the gap with Twyford is a worthwhile goal, so give Angee Nicholas, National your tick (and also to avoid the risk John Tamihere comes second, as the grifting political slut that he is).
Te Tai Hauauru:
Adrian Rurawhe of Labour isn’t standing again, and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer of Te Pati Maori rates her chances of taking this seat. If you don’t think the population should be split into Tangata Tiriti, Tangata Whenua and racists, then you’ll want this odious racist kept out of this seat. Soraya Peke-Mason of Labour is your best bet here.
Te Tai Tokerau:
Kelvin Davis is safe here, but it remains a quiet mystery as to why the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party was never entrusted to be Deputy Prime Minister by the Labour Party. As someone who accused ACT MP Karen Chhour of effectively not being Maori enough for having different political views, he deserves to be opposed. Maki Herbert of ALCP is your best bet (he came third in 2020).
Te Tai Tonga:
The Tirikatene clan will hold this whenever they stand, but you wont want to support Takuta Ferris of Te Pati Maori, or the highly questionable independent candidate. You could vote Rebecca Robin of ALCP though.
Tukituki:
The seat that is Hastings and the rural surrounds was won by Anna Lorck of Labour in 2020, but she seems unlikely to win again which is good. Catherine Wedd is the National candidate and is a former journalist and business director. Rob Douglas of ACT is more convincingly in favour of less government.
Upper Harbour:
Labour’s Vanushi Walters won this off National in 2020, but will likely lose it. You’ll want her out of Parliament. Cameron Brewer is the National candidate, but do you really want another communications consultant, ex. City councillor and lobbyist as your MP? Karen Chhour from ACT would be moderately preferable. Don’t be tempted by Shai Navot from TOP though. Karen Chhour, ACT
Waiariki:
The anti-democratic, outspoken Rawiri Waititi, who thinks the reason Maori have problems is everything is racist, deserves to be ousted here. Your only option is Labour’s Toni Boynton
Waikato:
This safe National seat held by Tim van de Molen, who is fairly centrist. You don’t have any other choices, but he’s ok, he’s socially centrist. Up to you.
Waimakariri:
On paper this was a marginal National seat in 2020, held by Matt Doocey, but he’ll be pretty safe here. Ross Campbell from ACT is not inspiring and no, you shouldn’t vote for Leighton Baker. Matt Doocey, National
Wairarapa:
Labour’s Kieran McAnulty picked this seat up convincingly in 2020, but he should be evicted from this seat given his senior role in increasing the size of this government. Mike Butterick of National is best placed to do this.
Waitaki:
National’s Jacqui Dean held this fairly safe seat, but that moron is retiring, so National is putting Miles Anderson forward, who seems like a very standard National Party candidate. Sean Beamish of ACT talks of freedom, so on balance give him a tick.
Wellington Central:
Grant Robertson giving up Wokington Central was meant to leave it to former refugee Ibrahim Omer for Labour. He’s a nice enough chap, but no one supporting freedom can support Labour when there is a better alternatives. This race also includes the odious Wellington City Councillor Tamatha Paul for the Greens, she’s on the far-left. She loudly advocates for Palestine, but has been silent since the recent Hamas attack. I guess she thinks her real views might cost her votes. While Wellingtonians might be better off removing Tamatha Paul from voting on Council, she ought not to get promoted for being such a coward for her likely hideous views. We don’t need more commie kids in Parliament. Scott Sheeran is hardly a great promoter of individual freedom, but he’s better than Paul and Omer, so tick Scott Sheeran, National
West-Coast Tasman:
Damien O’Connor is a moron, who at one point thought New Zealand could mediate between China and its enemies. You’ll want rid of him, but heaven help us that Maureen Pugh is National’s candidate. She’s a moron too who doesn’t “believe” in pharmaceuticals. Kelly Lilley from ACT isn’t a moron in a field with a lot of morons. Pick Kelly Lilley, ACT
Whanganui:
Steph Lewis from Labour took this seat convincingly in 2020 and is just another former union rep. Carl Bates from National is better, but Craig Dredge from ACT is better still. You might vote Bates to take it off Labour, but not with enthusiasm.
Whangaparaoa:
This new seat is safe for National’s Mark Mitchell, but you’re better off picking Simon Angelo for ACT, given Mitchell is hardly going to be helpful on personal freedoms.
Whangarei:
Emily Henderson of Labour took this off National in 2020 but isn’t standing again, so Labour is putting forward Angie-Warren Clark, who is a lawyer and list MP. Shane Reti of National is likely to win, so your best alternative bet is Jeni de Jong of the ALCP
Wigram:
Former Jim Anderton acolyte Megan Woods thoroughly deserves to be defeated here. She’s almost certainly going to win in this seat, so you’d be right to think seriously about voting for Tracy Summerfield of National.
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