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413 days ago

Election 2023: Wigram, an electorate with a foot in both camps (Wigram electorate profile)

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

In the lead-up to the 2023 general election, The Press is profiling Canterbury’s electoral races. Here’s what you need to know about the candidates running to be Wigram’s MP. (By reporter Liz McDonald)

The electorate of Wigram covers suburbs in the southwest of Christchurch including Spreydon, Hillmorton, Hornby, Sockburn, Wigram, Hei Hei and Islington, and parts of Hoon Hay, Addington and Riccarton.

It is flat land which takes in the city’s large industrial area plus several retail and commercial hubs, with major new housing areas alongside long-established residential neighbourhoods.

At the time of the 2018 census, a third of the electorate’s residents were born overseas, 26% identify as Asian, and 9.7% as Māori.

Ninety per cent of the electorate’s working population are employees, one of the highest percentages in the country.

One fifth of workers are professionals, 15% are technicians and trades workers, and almost 9% are machinery operators and drivers.

Over the years, and various boundary changes, this electorate has unfailingly chosen a left-leaning MP.

But the party vote has been a different story. National won the seat’s party vote in both 2011 and 2014, and was just edged out by Labour in a neck-and-neck finish in 2017.

Last election, following a boundary change which swung the electorate south, Labour easily won the Wigram party vote for the first time in years.

This year, incumbent Megan Woods will line up against nine other contenders.

Woods is No 5 on that party’s list and holds the housing, construction and infrastructure portfolios. She’s held Wigram since 2011, when Jim Anderton retired. In 2020, she was more than 14,000 votes ahead of the National candidate, Hamish Campbell.

This election, Campbell has tossed his hat into the ring for the next-door Ilam electorate, so challenging Woods for National will be businesswoman and election first-timer Tracy Summerfield.

Summerfield has been a chartered accountant for over 25 years, ran her own childcare business which she sold in 2021, and is a qualified teacher who formerly served on the Early Childhood Education Board. She is at No 37 on the National list.

Lining up for the Green Party again will be Richard Wesley. Wesley works as a capital programmes adviser for the Christchurch City Council, and has previously worked as a project manager for Scirt and Vbase. Sitting at No 26 on the Greens’ list, he is involved in a range of environmental projects.

ACT will be fielding Ankita Lynn, a data consultant who specialises in data governance. Lynn previously worked for Parliamentary Services and other public organisations, and sits low on the ACT list at No 56.

Perennial candidate and low-polling specialist Tubby Hansen, who has unsuccessfully campaigned every general election since 1969, is again standing for the Economics Party.

Rounding out the list are Blair Anderson (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party), Debra Cullimore (Leighton Baker Party), Geoff McTague (Independent), Wiremu Thomson (Independent) and Christine Van Duivenboden (NZ Loyal Party).

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More messages from your neighbours
3 hours ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

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6 days ago

Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.

What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?

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When should the tree go up? 🎄
  • 4.7% Second half of November
    4.7% Complete
  • 43.6% 1st December
    43.6% Complete
  • 17.4% A week before Christmas
    17.4% Complete
  • 33.2% Whenever you wish
    33.2% Complete
  • 1.1% Other - I'll share below
    1.1% Complete
2322 votes
5 days ago

What's your favourite tomato recipe?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.

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