NZ Election 2026

West Coast-Tasman electorate

West Coast-Tasman stretches down almost the entirety of the South Island’s West Coast, starting from the Tasman region at Motueka, going past Westport, Greymouth, and Hokitika, before finishing at Haast. The seat is held by National’s Maureen Pugh, a list MP who became an electorate MP in the 2023 election, but is retiring in 2026. Pugh was elected with a margin of 13,317 in 2023. National won the party vote in 2023 with 33% of the vote, followed by Labour with 24%. Geographically, it is the largest general electorate in the country.

West Coast-Tasman candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Andrew Beaumont

Green Party

Cindie Uddstrom

Opportunity Party

Jamie Cleine

NZ First

Janelle Hocking

ACT Party

Alexander Hislop

New Zealand Loyal

Sue Grey

NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party

Kevin Rooke

Progressive Aotearoa New Zealand

Sara Dyatlova–Murphy

Alliance Party

Katie Milne

National Party

Rory Paterson

Labour Party

Richard Francis OSMASTON

Money Free Party

Alexander Hislop

New Zealand Loyal

Why I'm standing

I'm stepping up and contesting because West Coast-Tasman has no genuine representation where a local focus is prioritized. This region has an abundance of natural resources and skilled people who can harness those resources while maintaining an environmental synergy. Many talk about the problems, and hope others will solve those problems. I decided if I want to see real and substantive change, then that change starts with me.

About me

I live in Murchison and have a business here. I travel throughout the region extensively and converse with many people. We have some great minds and skilled people who have the ability to solve the issues we all face. The problem has been 'action' and that is where I believe I will facilitate solutions for those problems. We're all in this mess together. Together, we can get ourselves out of it.

My priorities

  1. Harnessing our regional natural resources while ensuring best environmental practices.
  2. Local business opportunities over multi-national corporations and removing bureaucratic red tape.
  3. Greater local decision-making as opposed to the usual centralized out-of-touch authorities.

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.