New Conservative party co-leader Helen Houghton to stand in the Tauranga byelection. Photo / Supplied
New Conservative party co-leader Helen Houghton to stand in the Tauranga byelection. Photo / Supplied
The New Conservative is the latest political party to enter the race to contest the Tauranga byelection, with the party's co-leader confirming her candidacy.
The electorate seat vacancy was created after National MP Simon Bridges confirmed his decision last month to resign his electorate seat and quit politics.
Bridges' resignationis effective from May 6 and the byelection will be held on June 18. Candidate nominations close at noon on May 17.
So far, four political parties and one independent candidate have thrown their names in the ring to contest the Tauranga byelection.
Christchurch-based New Conservative party co-leader Helen Houghton said she would be moving to Tauranga for the duration of the campaign.
Houghton, a former primary school teacher for 16 years, said she was in her second year of study at Canterbury University to gain her law and politics degrees.
A single parent of two adult sons and a foster mother to high-needs children, Houghton is also the founder and director of the Women's Open Home Charitable Trust, she said.
Houghton described her passions as including "education, freedom and family".
"I'm really excited by this opportunity and I believe New Conservative is the consistent conservative choice for Tauranga.
"We stand for family, freedom and facts over feelings - feelings change but facts do not.
"I am a realist and a straight talker which is needed in an increasingly misguided/misled society, and people want stability. Airy-fairy policies and schoolyard behaviour politics won't cut it anymore."
Houghton said voters wanted common sense and less interference from the top-down government antics of control in their lives.
"Tauranga has had enough of this in its local government. I am looking forward to meeting and talking with the Tauranga voters and taking their concerns to parliament."
NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party co-leader Sue Grey is standing in the byelection. Photo / Supplied.
The NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party is also contesting the byelection with self-employed Nelson lawyer and mother of three Sue Grey as the party's candidate.
Grey earlier said in a written statement that she and the Outdoors & Freedom team had been "walking the walk" around the country to challenge the undermining of rights and freedoms and loss of democracy.
Any vote for parties already in government was a "wasted vote", she said.
"None of them stepped up for our people or our freedoms when we needed them over the last two years... It's time for someone new who will stand with the people and teach the rest what democracy looks like."
"This is a great opportunity for Tauranga to make a stand and reclaim democracy by voting for a new style of leader who has a track record of speaking up and fighting for the people."
