Hairdressing role gave taste of politics

Invercargill-based Ria Bond says she's always been politically minded.

Taking on the presidency of a hairdressers' association was done with an eye on entering politics, New Zealand First's new MP says.

Politics was frequently debated around the dinner table as Ria Bond was growing up and the decision to one day get involved came after seeing how many in her generation struggled financially, she said.

"The call was natural in terms of [entering] politics. I've always been politically minded," Ms Bond told the Herald.

After standing for NZ First in Invercargill last year, where she owned and operated a hairdressing salon, Ms Bond moved to Wellington to work as an assistant to NZ First MPs Richard Prosser and Mahesh Bindra.

She is also past president of the New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers - and said that position was a "vehicle I used to get the knowledge and understanding of how things work [politically]".

Ms Bond has now moved back to Invercargill and is expected to take her place as the party's 12th MP at the NZ First caucus meeting at Parliament on Tuesday morning.

Leader Winston Peters won the Northland byelection last month, taking a seat off the National Party.

Under electoral rules, he must resign as a list MP to allow his party to bring another MP into Parliament, and the party expects Ms Bond to be officially sworn in next week.

Ms Bond moved to Invercargill at the age of 14 and said she would be a strong advocate for the region. But her links to Northland were also strong.

"That's where my father's whanau come from, so Northland is family to me ... as a list MP your work is not only in your electorate but is actually to cover the length of this country."

Ms Bond, who has a 19-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter, said she was unfazed by the prospect of stepping up to become an MP after being an assistant to other New Zealand First members.

A priority for the country's newest MP is to ensure candidates in her position do not enter Parliament in future.

Ms Bond said New Zealand had too many MPs for its population size, and she wanted a private member's bill introduced to reduce Parliament's 121 seats.

"As I come up to Wellington early next week I will be sitting and talking with my caucus about the correct numbers of where that should be."

NZ First MP Barbara Stewart introduced a private member's bill in 2006 to reduce the number of MPs to 100. It passed its first reading but was then defeated after select committee hearings.

Mr Peters had hinted after his Northland byelection result that the party might decide not to bring in an extra MP because of its support for a smaller Parliament.