NZ Election 2026

Taieri electorate

Taieri covers some of Dunedin’s southern suburbs including Anderson’s Bay, Saint Kilda, and Concord, but also stretches south into the Clutha region, incorporating towns such as Mosgiel, Milton, and Balclutha. The electorate is held by Labour’s Ingrid Leary, who was first elected in 2020 and was re-elected in 2023 with a margin of 16,579. Labour narrowly won the party vote in 2023, with 34%, followed by National with 33%. The electorate previously existed between 1866 and 1908, where it was represented by both Donald Reid Sr and Jr, before being re-created over a century later.

Taieri candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Ingrid Leary

Labour Party

Matthew French

National Party

Scott Willis

Green Party

Robbie Byars

ACT Party

Anna Knight

Alliance Party

Matthew French

National Party

Why I'm standing

I am standing for Parliament because I believe it is time for better representation for our community. A community I have been part of for 20 years, raised my family here and understand the opportunities and challenges our region faces. I want to be a strong, accessible advocate for the people of our area listening to their concerns, taking their issues to Parliament and working hard to achieve practical results for our community.

About me

To be an effective representative you need to have a lived experience over a wide range of areas. For me, this includes wins and losses. Family, marriage, kids, community leadership, business management and ownership, sporting organisations and wildlife preservation and awareness. These areas are just some of the experience that I have and that has helped shape me into who I am today. I listen to our community to help shape solutions for positive outcomes.

My priorities

  1. Create workable solutions for high traffic, transport and congestion, particularly for Mosgiel.
  2. Advocate for a practical long-term approach to flood protection & resilience throughout the electorate.
  3. Strengthen health care access, support Dunedin Hospital and enhance services for rural communities.

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 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.