Banks Peninsula electorate
Banks Peninsula covers the area to the east and south of Christchurch, including Akaroa, Lyttleton, and southern Christchurch suburbs such as Oaklands, Woolston, and Kennedys Bush. It is held by National’s Vanessa Weenink, who narrowly won the electorate for the first time in 2023 with a margin of 17,860. National also won the party vote with 32% of the vote, followed by Labour at 27%. The electorate had the highest turnout of any electorate at the 2023 election.
Banks Peninsula candidates
Explore the candidates in your area
Craig Pauling
Why I'm standing
I believe in people and nature thriving together and working as a community to confront challenges. I'm standing for Parliament to contribute my skills and experience across community, environmental action, iwi, local and central government and the private sector to Government. I know we can protect and restore our environment, embrace Te Tiriti partnership and have affordable and secure lives - if we make positive change that uplifts all of us.
About me
I was born and raised in Ōtautahi-Christchurch, I'm a proud Pāpā to three young adults and a dedicated community and environmental leader with over 30 years' experience across resource management, local government and ecological restoration. Whether as Chair of the Regional Council, an RMA Commissioner or as a trustee of local charities, I bring a practical approach grounded in real-world results, while leading with values and bringing people together around shared responsibility for people and place.
My priorities
- Secure affordable lives by gathering fairer tax and lowering power, grocery and transport bills.
- Fix rules to restore our environment and ensure we can drink, swim and fish in our oceans and rivers.
- Put decisions back in the hands of our community and better fund critical public services and jobs.
Get across the policies, candidates and parties
Don’t know who to vote for? Policy.nz is the complete guide to the 2026 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 explainerEnrol 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.
