The Napier electorate incorporates Napier city and its environs out to the Tutaekuri River, the electorate's northern boundary extends past the old boundary line at Putorino to include Wairoa and the Mahia Peninsula. The winning candidate in the 2011 election, Chris Tremain (National Party), captured a majority (52.1%) of the 33,268 valid electorate votes cast for candidates in the Napier electorate.
Standing this year are (Information provided by candidates unless stated otherwise):
Wayne Walford
National Party
Born in Hastings, grew up in Havelock North, Primary School - Lucknow
Secondary School - Karamu High School
Work history;
Eastern and Central Savings Bank, Whakatu Freezing Works, Newmans,
Williams and Kettle,
Tauranga Hospital - 3 month contract turned into 10 years in various roles managing up to 1500 people,
Tauranga Community Arts - 4 years,
Local Government Projects - Community and Iwi groups,
Bob Clarkson Campaign Manager - 2005,
CEO - Waikato Chamber of Commerce 4.5 years,
CEO - Hawkes Bay Chamber of Commerce 1.5 years,
Education;
MBA - Waikato University
Dip Bus Studies - Massey University
Outward Bound Alumnus
Personal;
Married to Joan since 1982, now live in Bay View. Together they enjoy people, entertaining, gardening, the beach and being grand-parents.
Wayne's other interests include design, fashion and exercise to provide some balance.
Wayne has old fashioned values that align perfectly with National - he is a leg up, teach a person to fish by giving them a fishing rod type of guy.
Wayne stands for: Integrity, Chivalry, fairness and equity, and the possibility for everyone to achieve their goals.
"Wayne's personal being is about empowering potential in people." He has worked in many leadership roles and considers leadership of people to be the greatest privilege.
Stuart Nash
Labour Party
Napier has been home to my family for nearly 150 years.
My education started at Carlyle Kindergarten and finished at Napier Boys.
I then gained a BA, and master's degrees in forestry science and management.
I have extensive business experience in New Zealand and overseas, in the forestry industry; international business trading; and recently roles with AUT as Director of Strategic Development and Executive Director of AUT's South Campus.
As a Napier-based list MP during the last parliamentary term, I developed Labour's tax and forestry policies and worked hard on a range of local issues.
Since then, my team and I have continued to stand up for the issues that matter to the people of Napier.
I am proud to call Napier home. This is the best city in the greatest country in the world. It would be a privilege to represent Napier in Parliament. I believe I have the skills, competencies and passion to be an effective MP for Napier.
My children are the fifth generation to attend Napier Central School - as your MP I promise to work hard to help Napier become a place where there are opportunities for the sixth generation. This is why I am asking for your vote on Saturday 20th.
Garth McVicar
Conservative Party
Garth McVicar is known nationally for founding the Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) in 2001 when he saw the escalation of violent crime and repeat offending. It is now New Zealand's largest victim advocacy organisation responsible for helping thousands of victims.
Garth's decision to run for Parliament came about after legal action by the director of human rights proceedings on behalf of a convicted paedophile.
"No sitting politician could tell me they were committed to ending that kind of abuse of state power and tax payer money so I decided it was time to take my Passion to Parliament by standing for the Napier seat to challenge this nonsense at its source. I chose the Conservative Party as their policies are closest to my ideals."
When it comes to crime his core belief is society needs to have a serious rethink - what he calls the A - B - C - D's.
Accountability, Boundaries, Consequences and Discipline.
He has lived in the Napier District all his life, has been married to Anne for over 40 years raising 4 daughters together and is now helping raise the next generation.
Together they have founded a number of successful businesses in the district.
New Zealand needs Napier and Parliament needs Garth to remind them how to behave, collaborate, show empathy and purpose so they stay on task in serving the people not themselves.
Paul Bailey
Green Party
I've been a Bank Manager, Debt Collector, Business Owner, and stay at home dad. I'm married with 4 kids. I've been a Hawke's Bay resident most of my life. Like you, I love New Zealand. I'm standing for the Green Party because we are ready to step up and deliver. We have a vision, and comprehensive plan, for a cleaner environment, a fairer society and a smarter economy.
This is a crucial election for New Zealand.
This Government's policies have put our kids and our environment at serious risk and will continue to do so. When 1 in 4 of our kids grow up in poverty and 60 per cent of our rivers are unsafe to swim in something is seriously wrong with the New Zealand I love.
We need to make our rivers clean enough to swim in again and keep our aquifers safe from fracking, we need to create a society where every child is better off, and we need to build an economy that benefits every New Zealander.
We are now solidly established as a major party. We have stable leadership and have consistently lead with fresh thinking. Now, more than ever the Greens need to be in government to combat the social, economic and
environmental challenges facing New Zealanders.
If you love Aotearoa too make sure you Party Vote Green for a country we can be proud of.
Barry Pulford
Democrat for
Social Credit Party
Barry Pulford is the Democrats for Social Credit Party's (DSC) candidate for the Napier Electorate. Currently he is the President of the DSC Eastern Region and DSC spokesman on the Environment & GE Issues.
Barry is 63 years old, lives in Flaxmere and works at night at Hastings Pak n Save as a member of the Cleaning Team. Although he lives in the Tukituki Electorate he has close ties with the Napier Electorate through his membership of the Ahuriri Estuary Protection Society as Treasurer and as the Secretary/Treasurer of Hawke's Bay - Friends of YHA, a member group which provides support for activities at the Napier YHA hostel as and when required.
To "Walk the Talk" he also belongs to Kiva Kiwis, a group of people living in or having links with NZ, connected with Kiva microfunds commonly known as Kiva.org and KivaZip.org
This non-profit organisation allows people to lend money via the internet to low income/underserved entrepreneurs and students in over 70 countries. All the loans distributed by KivaZip.org are at 0% interest to the borrower.
Travel by rail in such countries as the UK, Germany, Australia, NZ and the United States has convinced Barry that the Napier to Gisborne rail link must be reopened as soon as possible.
Mary O'Neill
Alliance Party
Mary O'Neill is a member of the national secretariat - the decision making body for the Alliance Party.
She was born in Europe, where she was a university student of archaeology and a writer in the field of archaeology for a popular science magazine. She was also working as an assistant to Professor Han at ECPD European Center for Peace and Development, the United Nation University for Peace. In 1996 Mary arrived in Australia as a temporary resident. She married Thomas O'Neill the SFWU union organiser and Hawke's Bay CTU convener.
In New Zealand Mrs O'Neill obtained a sub-degree qualification in environment and sustainability in 2008, and is progressing to her degree in applied science major environment.
Alliance policies aim to create a fairer, more equal society for everyone. Even though the Alliance is not standing a list in this election, we think it is important that people still get to hear about Alliance policies. These policies are free education for everyone, free doctors and dentist visits for everyone and free prescriptions, an affordable home and a livable income for everyone. People in NZ need paid work. Mary said "Volunteering itself is fine, I was a volunteer when I was 18, but people really need a paid job".