The Opportunity Party unveils candidate list with leader Qiulae Wong saying 'we expect better than the current political parties are delivering'

The Opportunity Party has unveiled a list of 40 candidates for November's election. 

Leader Qiulae Wong describes the list as; "a team of people who have built businesses and organisations, shaped public policy, worked alongside communities and led practical responses to some of New Zealand’s biggest challenges.”

“We are standing because, like many New Zealanders, we expect better than the current political parties are delivering,” says Wong.

The party’s candidate list lands as recent opinion polling shows Opportunity has increased its support, nearing the 5% Parliamentary threshold line in the June 1News Verian Poll (4.6%), the July RNZ Reid Research Poll (4.7%) and the recent Talbot Mills Poll (4.7%).

The latest modelling in the NZ Herald-Motu Research Poll of Polls showed an average predicted party vote of 5.3% for Opportunity, while the July Taxpayer's Union-Curia Poll had the party sitting on 3.3%.

Earlier in the week, Prime Minister and National Party leader Christopher Luxon ruled out working with the Opportunity Party, saying “when you want to spend more, tax more, borrow more - we ain’t doing business with you.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins hasn’t ruled them out but he hasn’t ruled them in either, telling reporters: "It's an absolute reality that no party under MMP who hasn't already been represented in Parliament has crossed the 5% threshold, so there's always a first for everything, but it's still pretty unlikely they're going to achieve it."

In a sit down interview with interest.co.nz, Wong said she thought it was premature of National to rule Opportunity out.

“It’s just indicative of old school politics trying to paint people in a left or right box when actually it’s more complex than that, and we need to work together on some of these solutions.”

“There is actually a lot that we agree with them on and I think we can work constructively,” she said. 

If elected into Parliament, Wong said she wanted Opportunity to be part of a Government where her party can further their objectives and policies.

“If that’s not going to be the case, if we’re having to … compromise on everything and just be there for the votes, that’s not something we would agree to,” she said. “We’d rather be on the crossbenches or potentially in Opposition if that's the case.” 

Here is the Opportunity Party’s candidate list: 

1. Qiulae Wong | Mt Albert
2. Daniel Eb | Kaipara ki Mahurangi
3. Jessica Hammond | Wellington North
4. Kayla Kingdon-Bebb | Wellington Bays
5. Eden Skipper | Christchurch Central
6. Jodie Kuntzsch | Nelson
7. Sarah Lucas | New Plymouth
8. David Bainbridge-Zafar | Dunedin
9. Holly Knill | North Shore
10. Pāpā Wharewera | Waiariki
11. Bianca Beebe | Southland
12. Romeo Tevaga | Upper Harbour
13. Ben Wylie-van Eerd | Hutt South
14. Rachel Ward | Tukituki
15. Naomi Pocock | Hamilton East
16. Helen Tait | Waitaki
17. Cody Marsh | Northcote
18. Adam Macrae-Martin | Otāhuhu
19. Mark Roach | Waitākere
20. Robert Mason | Kenepuru
21. Luke Ross | Remutaka
22. Michael Carter | Tauranga
23. Derrick Paul | Maungakiekie
24. Matt Shepherd | Wairarapa
25. Ben Lane | Māngere
26. Chee Khiang (CK) Sng | Kāpiti
27. Finn Liley | Rotorua
28. Evan French | Glendene
29. Jamie Attenborough | Mt Roskill
30. Matthew Harris | Rangitata
31. Sacha Haskell | Tāmaki
32. Netra Ghimire | Palmerston North
33. Cail Smith | East Cape
34. Sam Plummer | Taupō
35. Blair Smith | Hamilton West
36. Johan Chang | Auckland Central
37. Almo Wong | Henderson
38. Adrian Mee | Selwyn
39. Paul Jackson | Epsom
40. Kevin Huang | Pakuranga