High-profile candidates may have grabbed the headlines at this year’s general election but people representing the minor parties were working just as hard to earn public support.
Among them were Rob McNeil and Nicholas Hancock, who contested the Botany and Pakuranga electorates respectively for the new Animal Justice Party.
They were very even with the support they received, with McNeil earning 334 candidate votes to Hancock’s 330.
Their party received a combined 160 party votes in the two electorates.
McNeil and Hancock say the party is proud to have contested Botany and Pakuranga and they’re honoured more than 600 people voted for them.
“The party was only registered in August 2023, with only a few weeks and a very small amount of money to execute a campaign. We give a voice to vulnerable animals and citizens.
“With promises made to end greyhound racing and alter the dire pet/tenant situation, and the spectre of cruel live export returning, there is much work to be done.
“We hope residents will join and support us as we campaign for animals between elections.
The [party’s] candidates thank the voters of Pakuranga and Botany for their trust.”
Another local minor party candidate who’s pleased with his result is John Alcock, who contested the Pakuranga electorate for Rock The Vote NZ.
It was one of several component parties of Freedoms of New Zealand, led by Brian Tamaki and lawyer Sue Grey.
Alcock received 185 candidate votes while Freedoms NZ earned a combined 150 party votes in the Pakuranga and Botany electorates.
He campaigned on a platform of scrapping all existing taxes in favour of a 0.1 per cent transaction tax and removing the state from people’s lives as much as possible.
The business development manager says he’s “extremely pleased” with the support he and his party received.
“For a little-known party with low funds and time available, it was a fun and interesting campaign.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Freedoms NZ to achieve this result.”
Alcock says his campaign highlights were being interviewed by the Times prior to the election and taking part in a live debate with the New Zealand Loyal party’s Pakuranga candidate Phil Scothern.
“It has been a fantastic experience throughout and I’ve had a really good time with it, but we’re not stopping here.
“We’re onto bigger and better things, including the local-body elections in the not-too-distant future.
“I’ve made fantastic friends and networks through this period and look forward to continuing to work with other candidates and parties to support every day Kiwis, their individual agency and the individual success of them and their families.”
Alcock says he hopes the new National-led Government, with its likely coalition partner the ACT Party, will strive to keep their campaign promises, and “we’ll be able to weather the interesting global conditions”.
He plans to contest future local-body and general elections.
“In precisely what form this takes may change, but I will be here to support Kiwis.”
