National deputy leader Nicola Willis says the door is wide open for more women candidates. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National deputy leader Nicola Willis says the door is wide open for more women candidates. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National’s bid to increase the number of women is having mixed success as its selections for the election this year continue.
Of the 19 new candidates announced so far, seven of them, more than a third, are women.
But only a handful have a reasonable chance of being elected inelectorate battles.
But deputy leader Nicola Willis says there is still room to improve on that number through more selections, special list-only candidates, and list rankings.
The new woman with the best prospect of being elected to National is Suze Redmayne who has been selected for Rangitikei. The seat has been held by retiring MP Ian McKelvie, with a current majority of 2961.
National's candidate for Rangitikei Suze Redmayne. Photo / Supplied
His majority has previously been over 10,000 but he held onto it when the party lost many regional seats in the so-called Covid election of 2020, and National was in chaos. Redmayne, aged 56, is a sheep farmer from Turakina, near Whanganui.
Another two women with a reasonable chance of winning in a swing away from the Government are from Hawke’s Bay.
And Katie Nimon is the candidate in Napier which is held by Stuart Nash with a majority of 5856.
It is difficult to predict what effect the flooding emergency in Hawke’s Bay will have on sitting MPs. A disaster could often give an advantage to an incumbent especially if they are associated with a credible response by the Government - National benefitted in Christchurch immediately after the earthquakes.
But Nash’s role as Minister of Forestry could count against him, if he is perceived not to have done enough to force forestry companies to reduce the slash that exacerbated the devastation.
Four other women have been selected to be National candidates.
National's Remutaka candidate Emma Chatterton. Photo / Supplied
Emma Chatterton is standing against Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Remutaka which he holds with a majority of 20,497 votes. She was the candidate who was abused and heckled as she addressed the climate change protest at Parliament last week.
National's Mana candidate Frances Hughes. Photo / Supplied
Frances Hughes has been selected to stand in Mana which is held by new cabinet minister Barbara Edmonds with a majority of 16,244 votes.
Angee Nicholas is standing in Te Atatu against ex-minister Phil Twyford, who holds it with a majority of 10,508.
And Vanessa Weenink has been selected to stand in Banks Peninsula against Tracey McLellan who holds it with a majority of 13,156.
Nicola Willis says she is confident there will be more women candidates selected among the 17 general selections still be held.
And she elevated the chances of Vanessa Weenink winning Banks Peninsula on the basis that National won the party vote there (as Port Hills) in 2017.
Willis also said that in Te Atatu, National had come close to doing better than Labour in the party vote in 2017.
“Angee Nicholas who is already on the ground working very hard in that electorate has certainly entered the race full of aspiration, and that is not to take away from Emma Chatterton or Frances Hughes who will obviously be campaigning hard in Remutaka and Mana.”
National's Te Atatu candidate Angee Nicholas. Photo / Supplied.
Willis said not only were more selections to be held but that up to five candidates could be selected as list-only candidates under party rules.
“That does leave some pretty big doors open for women,” she said.
And there was also the process of ranking the party list, which she and leader Christopher Luxon wanted to represent the New Zealand they wanted to see in Parliament.
Asked if she was disappointed that so few women had been selected, she said the party was making progress but there was more to make.
“I see this not as short-term project but as a medium-term project.”
It was not just about getting women for the 2023 election but for 2026 and beyond.
“The changes we are making in the party are at a grassroots, encouraging more women to come through our electorate organisations, encouraging more women to come through the candidate selection process, encouraging those women who haven’t been successful the first time not to count themselves out for the future, assuring we’ve got those support networks in place.”
The current National caucus of 34 has 11 women.
Besides Rangitikei, the other retiring National MP with an electorate seat is Jacqui Dean in Waitaki with a majority of 3281, and Miles Anderson has been selected as candidate to replace her.
The other selections so far in seats not held by National are:
- James Meager in Rangitata held by Jo Luxton with a majority of 4408.
- Hamish Campbell in Illam held by Sarah Pallet (3463).
- David McLeod in New Plymouth held by Glen Bennett (2555).
- Dan Bidois in Northcote held by Shanan Halbert (2534).
- Cameron Brewer in Upper Harbour held by Vanushi Walters (2392).
- Dale Stephens in Christchurch Central held by Duncan Webb (14,098).
- Tim Costley in Otaki held by Terisa Ngobi (2988).
- Ryan Hamilton in Hamilton East held by Jamie Strange (2973).
- Siva Kilari in Manurewa held by Arena Williams (17,179).
- Blair Cameron in Nelson held by Rachel Boyack (4525).
- Carl Bates in Whanganui held by Steph Lewis (8191).
Under National’s rules, if an electorate has 200 members or more, the selection process is run at a local and regional level. If it has fewer than 200, then the party board runs the process.
