West Coast Tasman seat

The West Coast has traditionally been a Labour stronghold, as the birthplace of the first coal-mining unions that helped shape the party's roots.

Electorate shift

West Coast Tasman spans 32,000 sq km, including more than half the country's national parks, and flipped from Labour to National in 2023.

2023 election result

Pugh won 13,317 votes, defeating O'Connor by 1017 votes, with National securing a 4072 party vote margin.

New candidates

Former Federated Farmers president Katie Milne runs for National, while teacher Rory Paterson stands for Labour in West Coast Tasman.

Minor party entries

NZ First's Jamie Cleine, Greens' Andrew Beaumont, and Opportunity Party's Cindie Uddstrom also entered the race.

Mining debate

Greymouth support worker Sonia Smith says mining must be supported to create jobs while protecting the land.

“We don't want to see mining shut down. I know the Greens want to do that, but I don't want to see that.”

Environmental concerns

PSA union organiser Paul Kearns says the West Coast lacks political vision beyond mining and resource extraction.

“We don't seem to have a vision for the coast, apart from digging more holes and looking for more minerals.”

Unique regional needs

Thomas Bleeker, who moved from Tennessee to Hokitika, says the West Coast has unique regional needs not applicable elsewhere.

“It's really interesting here on the coast. I think there are some really unique sort of regional needs that aren't necessarily applicable to the rest of the country.”