NZ Election 2023

Taieri electorate

Taieri, formerly Dunedin South, covers the southerns suburbs of Dunedin and extends into central and southern Otago, including Mosgiel, Brighton, Outram, Middlemarch, Lawrence, Milton, Balclutha, Kaitangata, and Kaka Point. The seat is currently held by Labour's Ingrid Leary, who won safely with a margin of 12,398. In 2020, Labour won the greatest share of party votes in Taieri – 59% to National's 21%. The seat has been held by Labour since it was created, and was represented by former deptuy prime minister and minister of finance Michael Cullen for one term.

Taieri candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Ingrid Leary

Labour Party

Matthew French

National Party

Fred Roberts

New Zealand Loyal

Mac Gardner

Independent

Scott Willis

Green Party

Burty Meffan

ACT Party

David Webber

Independent

Mark Patterson

NZ First

Changrong Dong

Independent

Matthew French

National Party

Not currently in parliament

Why I'm standing

I want to be able to make a difference in the community that I live in and not to just sit on the fence and leave it up to somebody else. I believe in fairness and having equitable opportunities for all members of the community and to being in a position of assisting local groups, organizations and individuals in having a voice in parliament and having somebody who can champion worthy causes, laws and services.

About me

I have the skills and the desire to advocate and uphold policies that are linked to the party's values while appealing to the widest possible section of the electorate. As a person who grew up rural, have worked in and owned business, who is involved in community activities, I identify with, and to, a large spectrum of people. This will make me a strong candidate and a champion for the people of Taieri.

My priorities

  1. Rebuild the economy to reduce the cost of living. Taieri is hurting and needs a strong advocate.
  2. Restore law and order. Dairy owners of Taieri are scared to open. We need to be hard on crime.
  3. Build the hospital that we need and not cut back on the number of beds, surgical or services needed.

Get across the policies, candidates and parties

Don’t know who to vote for? Policy.nz is the complete guide to the 2023 general election. Compare the parties, candidates and policies to see where you stand.

Policies

Compare the parties’ positions on the key issues this election

Candidates

See the electorate candidates running in your local area

Parties

Learn about each political party, its leaders and candidate list

Things to know...

Your two votes shape New Zealand’s next parliament. You need to be enrolled to vote.

Read explainer

  • Enrol to vote by Sunday 25 October

    You need to be enrolled before you can vote. You can enrol online at vote.nz.

  • Voting day is Saturday 7 November

    Head to your nearest voting place on the day, or vote early from 26 October.

  • You get two votes

    One for a party (the party vote) and one for a person in your area (the electorate vote).

  • Your party vote is the most powerful

    It decides how many seats each party gets in Parliament. That’s what Policy helps you figure out.