Forty-five southerners have put their hand up to run in this year’s general election.
The Electoral Commission released final candidate and party lists at the weekend.
They contain few surprises other than the late inclusion of Dunedin city councillor Jim O’Malley as an independent candidate in Dunedin.
Some parties struggled to find candidates for the country’s southernmost seats.
New Zealand First is not fielding anyone in either Invercargill or Southland, somewhat surprisingly given leader Winston Peters has taken a particular interest in the future of the Tiwai Point smelter and has made an election pledge to keep it open.
The Green Party also does not have a candidate standing in Invercargill.
Te Tai Tonga, the Maori electorate that takes in the South Island, has just four candidates.
Of the front runners, both incumbent MP, Labour’s Rino Tirikatene, and Te Pati Maori candidate Takuta Ferris are in electable positions on their respective party’s lists.
There are nine MPs based in the lower South Island — six electorate MPs and three list MPs.
On current polling, Act New Zealand should elect its first far South MP for some years.
Southland candidate Todd Stephenson is placed fourth on its party list.
If NZ First can maintain its current polling of 5% on election night, Taieri candidate Mark Patterson — a one-term MP — would return to Parliament as he also sits fourth on his party list.
Other list candidates who will be watching the returns anxiously on October 14 are the Dunedin and Taieri Green Party candidates Francisco Hernandez and Scott Willis. At 17 and 12 respectively on the party list, a good night for the Greens could see them elected.
The Opportunities Party is an outside chance of making it into Parliament and its Dunedin candidate, Ben Peters, is third on the party list.
The South is guaranteed two new electorate MPs as both Labour’s Dunedin MP David Clark and National Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean are retiring from politics.
Southern candidates (party list positions in brackets)
Waitaki: Miles Anderson (National, 59); Ray Bailey (NZ Loyal); Sean Beamish (Act NZ, 38); Pleasance Hansen (Green, 36); Anthony Odering (NZ First, 29); Ethan Reille (Labour, 76); Daniel Shand (Independent); Roger Small (Democracy NZ, 7).
Dunedin: Rachel Brooking (Labour, 23); Cyndee Elder (New Conservatives, 7); Francisco Hernandez (Green, 17); Keegan Langeveld (NZ First, 20); Steve Lawton (NZ Loyal); Adrian McDermott (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, 14); Tim Newman (Act NZ, 53); Jim O’Malley (Independent); Ben Peters (TOP, 3); Pamela Taylor (Independent); Michael Woodhouse (National).
Taieri: Changrong Dong (Independent); Matthew French (National, 49); Mac Gardner (Independent); Ingrid Leary (Labour, 52); Burty Meffan (Act NZ, 49); Mark Patterson (NZ First, 4); Fred Roberts (NZ Loyal); David Webber (Independent); Scott Willis (Green, 12).
Southland: Logan Evans (NZ Loyal); Anntwinette Grumball (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, 12); Dave Kennedy (Green, 22); Naomi Maclean (Vision NZ, 19); Simon McCallum (Labour, 70); Joseph Mooney (National, 53), Todd Stephenson (Act NZ, 4).
Invercargill: Liz Craig (Labour, 44); Scott Donaldson (Act NZ, 43); David Kowalewski (NZ Loyal); Kevin O’Connell (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, 5); Penny Simmonds (National, 16); Judith Terrill (Vision NZ, 34).
Te Tai Tonga: Tākuta Ferris (Te Pāti Māori, 5); Geoffrey Fuimaono Puhi (Independent); Rebecca Robin (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, 13); Rino Tirikatene (Labour, 21).
