National Party selects Mike Butterick to stand for Wairarapa

Mike Butterick, National Party candidate for the Wairarapa seat.

Mike Butterick is the successful candidate for National to contest the Wairarapa seat held by Alastair Scott. The general election will be held on September 19 this year.

Although its Butterick's first time in the political arena, he is known as being not one to tilt at windmills. He was spokesman for 50 Shades of Green - a group that opposes offsetting carbon with pine forestry.

Coming from mid-Canterbury, he grew up in provincial New Zealand and was educated at St Andrew's College in Christchurch. He did a stint at mustering in the South Island before coming to the Wairarapa in 1990, where he worked on Wairere Stud and met his wife-to-be Rachel.

In 1993 Rachel joined the Police and was posted to Wairoa. Mike went up there as well, working up as far as Hicks Bay on the East Coast. He bought his first farm in January 1995 in Wairarapa and married Rachel in February that year. They now have four children.

"Rachel and family are my rock. I believe in work ethic and family values," Mike said. "I'm a product of provincial New Zealand and I've got an opportunity now to provide good outcomes for the people in my backyard.

"I call it as I see it - I'm not here to sit at the back of the classroom and eat my lunch. I'm here to try to make a difference - that's my motivating factor," he said.

Talking about climate mitigation plans and the selling of farms to forestry: Butterick says "Don't blame the farmers, the forestry, or the investor - find out who wrote the note. It's purely the policy settings that are creating these outcomes.

"The new Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) amendments - it's not the right time just after Covid-19, and is offsetting effective? The government policy is going to provide nothing that is enduring, it does not fit with our values or our identity as a nation. We know the destination we're heading to, quite frankly we've caught the wrong bus and there's already a trail of road kill behind us"

"Is there a rural/urban divide in this electorate? I say absolutely no way. In provincial New Zealand we have always been intertwined, we are one big community, and it's a very special part of New Zealand to grow up and work in.

Being successful in business is the result of having good plans whether a farming or any other business. It's about relationships with the people you need to drive success. "Being an effective businessman and lobbying in Parliament - they're the same thing. The driver is that I want to get sensible outcomes for people I have spent my entire life with and that is why I am looking forward to representing this electorate.

"In the Wairarapa Electorate there are overarching issues, then specific issues to various parts. First the economy and jobs are front of mind. Second is water, which provides jobs and is the elixir of life. Businesses need a secure water supply to operate.

"In the Tararua there is not one passing lane between Masterton and Woodville. Highway 52 (a State Highway) - I had a better track down to my woolshed. That's an issue here.

"Afforestation at Pongaroa is their big issue and the DHB, in terms of the Tararua District, is tugged between different entities.

"The Wairarapa Electorate is my patch, I know it, I've got an opportunity to give something back to it.," said Butterick