Chris Baillie says he remains “happy” to be part of a team to change an “incredibly divisive” government, despite a 13-place drop in his political party’s rankings for the 2023 General Election.
The Honest Lawyer owner and ACT Party spokesperson for police, education, small business and workplace relations safety, has thrown his hat in the ring again for Nelson MP.
Chris achieved 1320 votes in the 2020 General Election, 20,056 votes behind Labour’s Rachel Boyack, who won the seat.
He says his recent demotion from fourth to 17 in the right-wing party’s rankings hasn’t impacted his crusade to address issues such as crime and fair pay, and “make it easier” for Nelson businesses to operate.
“I’m very pleased with what the current team have managed to do but I’m quite happy with my ranking, I got into politics to get rid of this incredibly divisive government and if I can be a part of that, then I’m happy,” he says.
“Being at 17, it is a bit of a drop, but we’ve got some fantastic new candidates coming through as well and the party is looking to the future.
“I know where I can make a contribution, I’m sure there’s a good possibility that I can get back up again.”
The ACT Party advocates the free market and free choice, and according to last month’s figures in the 1News Verian poll, could form a government with National.
Chris, who served 14 years in the New Zealand Police, says ACT had a raft of policies to implement if elected.
“Crime is a huge concern for all New Zealanders at the moment,” he says.
“I come from an angle of having experienced the dealings with crime and [I’ve] developed a number of policies along those lines which we would hope to kick in so police will feel supported by people that actually know what the job’s about.”
Chris says the government’s Fair Pay Agreements was “creating a lot of angst” among employers and employees.
“Talking to businesses, the implementation of this so-called fair pay agreement is creating a lot of angst among not only employers but employees as well who don’t want a bar of it,” he says.
“We really need to revisit the so-called fair pay agreements, that would be pretty high up on our agenda.
Chris, who’s also a former special needs staffer at Nayland College, says the government’s Curriculum Refresh, which plans to update subjects such as science, technology and the arts, was “upsetting” schools.
“A lot of teachers and certainly parents are unhappy with the direction the education side of things is heading,” he says.
“I’ve spent a lot of time developing and helping to develop ACT’s direction in education and I think we have a lot to offer in that space.”
Chris says the Nelson electorate had “lost its vibrancy” due to businesses “doing it really tough”.
Episode 12 - The threat of urban sprawl and bringing vibrancy back to the city. — The Nelson Pod
“I walk down the streets of Nelson and I see businesses closed and people just aren’t happy, we need to make it easier for businesses to operate in the Nelson area,” he says.
“We just need to make it easier to employ people, make it worthwhile for people coming to work, and the businesses being allowed to make a profit so they can pay their staff well.”
Chris says he’ll ramp up his campaigning in Nelson and Aotearoa once Parliament dissolves, which is planned to take place on September 8.
The general election takes place on Saturday, 14 October.
