Current MP Ian McKelvie is retiring after four terms in Parliament. Photo / Bevan Conley
Labour’s Zulfiqar Butt is confident he can spring an upset in the Rangitīkei electorate, but his National counterpart has other ideas.
Butt said National’s Suze Redmayne and Act’s Andrew Hoggard would be heading to Parliament regardless of the electorate vote result.
Redmayne is number 21 on the party list and Hoggard is number five.
“This is Rangitīkei’s chance to get a third MP,” Butt said.
“I’m feeling really positive. There has been good feedback from passersby and no slandering or shouting.”
He said he had travelled to every part of the electorate during the campaign, clocking up 5000 kilometres on the road.
Redmayne said she wasn’t interested in being a List MP.
“Rangitīkei is my home and I want to be the MP for Rangitīkei.
“I want to champion the interests of rural and provincial New Zealand, and right now, it needs a strong voice. We need someone to tell our story in Wellington.”
Butt said he was trying to sell the idea that Rangitīkei could return to “its previous glory days”.
Increased public transport, including a “super-bus”, was part of that.
“Mananui, Taumarunui, they used to be very busy places.
“All my concentration will be to bring life back to Rangitīkei.”
Green Party candidate Bernard Long said he had been surprised by the reception he received in the electorate.
People wanted to engage, even if they didn’t support the party.
“I don’t think I’ve had any reactions that are anything other than respectful.”
Along with free dental care for all and a push for passenger rail, an income guarantee of at least $385 per week was at the forefront of the party’s policies, he said.
“If people are living in poverty, they aren’t going to be thinking about the climate crisis - they are going to be thinking about paying the rent.
“We have to solve that [poverty] in order to continue to deal with the climate crisis. We see those issues as one and the same.”
Redmayne said she had knocked on 3000 doors so far and wasn’t taking anything for granted.
If elected, she will be the first female MP in the electorate’s 163-year history.
The seat is currently held by National’s Ian McKelvie, who is retiring after four terms.
She wanted to help solve local problems, whether it was Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, Chateau Tongariro, youth unemployment or a 24-hour police presence in Feilding, Redmayne said.
“The main issue, which I think most parties are across now, is the cost of living.
“Mortgages are up, rents are up, and everyone’s nervous every time they get to the checkout at the supermarket.”
Hoggard is on the hunt for party votes.
Candidate meetings so far generally tended to be stacked with people wearing red, blue or green shirts, he said.
“I would hope people look at the fact that over the last three years, Act has been absolutely consistent in its policies regarding agriculture.
“Mark Cameron [the party’s spokesperson for primary industries] has been a consistent voice, whereas the blue team has had four different primary industry spokespeople over that term.”
In terms of agriculture, the biggest concern was resource management reform, Hoggard said.
“[National] are with us on the need to get rid of the Natural Built Environment Act, but we have a plan on what to do after that - what to move resource management to.”
New Zealand First candidate Helma Vermeulen said a lot of farmers had asked to put her party’s billboards on their land.
“They are seeing the danger of Act, who are too much to the right. [Act] are going to hurt their workers and hurt a lot of vulnerable people.
“I have had no negative comments about New Zealand First this time around. People see our value - that we are still a caring, compassionate kind of conservative party.
“We will not cut all the benefits and we very much stand for senior citizens. I’m very strong for [keeping the retirement age at] 65.”
Vermuelen is also only chasing the party vote.
She said the country needed stability and common sense, and that’s what New Zealand First offered.
“As a business, you can’t think about the future if everything is constantly swinging from left to right. You don’t get sensible policy.”
Long said National loved roads and cows, and Act was “absolutely bloody anti anything” proposed by the centre and the left.
Regardless, both parties had quality candidates in Rangitīkei, he said.
“They have been good to campaign with and against.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
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