All dressed-up with nowhere to go, NZ First leader Winston Peters campaigning in 2017 in Napier, although the party had no candidate in the area. Photo / File
All dressed-up with nowhere to go, NZ First leader Winston Peters campaigning in 2017 in Napier, although the party had no candidate in the area. Photo / File
The party which says it's the third biggest in New Zealand still hasn't got any candidates for either the Napier or Hastings-based Tukituki electorate.
The party confirmed the situation late on Thursday, which was nothing new for Napier, which hasn't had a New Zealand First candidate since 2005. The partydid have a Tukituki candidate at the last election three years ago.
Nominations had been scheduled to close this week, but with Monday's announcement that the election had been postponed for four weeks (to October 17), nominations are now open until September 18, the day before the originally-scheduled election date.
According to details compiled by Hawke's Bay Today over the last two months, the only New Zealand First candidate seeking election in any electorate in Hawke's Bay is list MP Ron Mark in Wairarapa, which includes Central Hawke's Bay.
Only two parties – Labour and the Green Party - have expected-nominees in the three general electorates of Napier, Tukituki and Wairarapa and Māori electorate Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.
National, Act and New Conservative are the only others to announce candidates in all three general electorates.
The number contesting the Tukituki seat of incumbent first-term MP Lawrence Yule has risen to eight with the addition of a Chris Grey, of the Outdoors Party. He is understood to be from Taumarunui but neither he nor party leadership were able to be contacted late on Thursday by Hawke's Bay Today.
