Election 2023: Waitaki farmer Roger Small announced as Democracy NZ candidate

Farmer Roger Small has been announced as the Democracy NZ candidate for the Waitaki.

Waitaki voters will have a new party and a new candidate to consider in this year’s election.

Roger Small has been announced as the Democracy NZ candidate for the Waitaki.

Small has been the chairman of his local catchment group and is the Groundswell NZ coordinator for South Canterbury.

“I never really had political aspirations but just what’s happened over the last election cycle, I’ve been quite concerned that people’s local voice hasn’t been listened to so I’ve decided to stand up.”

Small and his family run a mixed arable and lamb fattening farm in Willowbridge, 7km southeast of Waimate.

Being a farmer for more than three decades, after his father and grandfather before him, gave him insights into the sector.

He wanted to see a change from the “heavy-handed regulations” in place.

He highlighted affordable water reforms as a key issue and wanted local councils to be given more autonomy around the issue.

Democracy NZ is the new kid on the block in New Zealand politics, established in March of last year.

The party was founded upon “common-sense policies” and this would be a major strength heading into the election, Small said.