Ankit Bansal is contesting the Palmerston North electorate for the National Party this October. "I'm a combination of education and experience and still relatively young so it's a complete package." Photo / Judith Lacy
Ankit Bansal is contesting the Palmerston North electorate for the National Party this October. "I'm a combination of education and experience and still relatively young so it's a complete package." Photo / Judith Lacy
Ankit Bansal is under no illusion about the challenge he faces to become Palmerston North’s next MP.
“I have no doubt that this is going to be a big challenge. At the same time if I do my best it is not an impossible task and I am quite dedicated about it because I am seriously concerned about what is happening in the country. That’s why I’ve decided to do it 100 per cent.”
The 34-year-old left his procurement team leader job at Massey University last month and is campaigning fulltime until the October 14 general election.
Bansal says he is not in politics to make it a career but because he seriously wants to make a difference and deliver for people.
He has lived in Palmerston North for five years. He joined the National Party last year and has been a National supporter for “a long time”.
“National truly values hard-working people regardless of their race, religion, gender and that’s the reason I am sitting in front of you in a regional town like Palmerston North.”
Bansal says healthcare, the cost of living and crime are all issues facing the city.
Palmerston North has the worst emergency department wait times in the country. “That is absolutely not acceptable.”
The city was promised a new mental health unit “many, many moons ago” but it still has not been built.
RNZ reported this month the unit was originally expected to open in late 2022, but construction is now slated to finish in 2025.
“The community has been given the carrot so many times, the promises, it’s the empty promises, but nothing has been delivered in the last six years. That is the problem,” Bansal says.
He met a Broadway Ave retailer who, out of fear for her safety, closes her door at 3pm. This enables her to select who comes in to browse.
The retailer showed Bansal a video of someone kicking at her doors in daylight.
“She was so scared. This is not the country we expect and you wouldn’t believe it. If I hadn’t seen it myself I wouldn’t believe it.”
The Labour Government is not prioritising its spending on getting the basics right - health, education, law and order, and cost of living, he says.
“Their priorities are not where they should be.”
The wage threshold of $29.66 an hour for migrants is too high for regional employers seeking skilled staff.
“[The Government] do not understand the awful impact of their decisions. They think if we make this decision, if we make this change, it will work.”
He moved to Wellington from India 10 years ago and completed a Diploma in Procurement and Supply.
The move to Palmerston North, a “complete package”, was prompted by the purchase of a computer and electronics store in Dannevirke. Bansal’s partner runs the store.
Everything is pretty much within reach in Palmerston North, it is easy to get around, and has a good community feel.
He was born in Moga, Punjab, north India, and considers himself a country town boy. His parents, brother, sister-in-law and two young nephews live in India.
He has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Punjabi University and a Master of Business Administration from the same university.
Ankit Bansal advocated for split migrant families at an education and workforce select committee meeting in 2021. The back of his T-shirt implores the Government to show kindness and provide a pathway to residency. Photo / Derek Cheng
Bansal says the fabric of New Zealand has been damaged in the past six years.
“We are not the same tolerant Kiwi society that we used to be six years ago. People are being constantly pitted against one another and we should work more collaboratively.”
His approach is outcome-focused and he can connect to people at ground level, “listen to their problems rather than sitting in a cosy chair assuming”.
“I’m a combination of education and experience and still relatively young so it’s a complete package.”
National Party leader Christopher Luxon can steer the country in the right direction, he says. He has so much experience and knowledge and has got good team members around him. Bansal says he is confident Luxon will deliver for the country.
