Waitangi Town Hall and the Chatham Islands Electorate
New Zealand’s most remote community, the Chatham Islands, held its first-ever election debate this week, as candidates journeyed to a community of 620 locals that maintains a distinct geographical and cultural separation from mainland Aotearoa. As thespinoff.co.nz reported, the visit brought candidates face-to-face with voters who live with unique economic and social isolation.
The Bottom Line on the Chatham Islands Debate
- The Setting: The island’s 439 enrolled voters face extreme isolation, where basic goods like a single leek cost $7.80 and a 24-pack of Steinlager Classic runs $125.
- The Political Landscape: Green MP Julie Anne Genter and Act’s Nicole McKee travelled alongside National’s Karuna Muthu, NZ First’s Gerald Warner, Labour’s Craig Renney, and Opportunity’s Kayla Kingdon-Bebb for the historic debate.
Journey Along the Gravel Roads of Waitangi
Clouds of dust rose off the wheels of SHARK, the white ute driven by Green MP Julie Anne Genter along the gravel roads as she transported fellow candidates Nicole McKee of Act, Karuna Muthu of National, and Gerald Warner of New Zealand First. Trailing behind in a separate vehicle were Labour candidate Craig Renney and Opportunity candidate Kayla Kingdon-Bebb. For every candidate except Genter and McKee, the journey marked their first-ever visit to the island.
Chatham Island’s main township, Waitangi, can be scanned over in less than five minutes. The infrastructure includes an ANZ bank that opens only once a week, positioned next to a tiny police station and a janky courthouse. Local retail options consist of a duopoly: residents shop at the Dough n’ Go gas station and the Waitangi General Store. Prices reflect the extreme freight challenges, with a single leek priced at $7.80, a block of Whittakers costing $16.90, and a 24-pack of Steinlager Classic running $125.
Identity and Isolation Far From the Mainland
The mental and physical separation between Chatham locals and those living in New Zealand proper runs deep. Aotearoa is the mainland and Chatham locals identify as “Islanders,” an identity separate to the country. Most residents are born and bred; historical exceptions include locals like one resident whose European father arrived following a shipwreck, staying behind to avoid the Russians, while the mayor, Greg Horler, arrived as a 16-year-old to shear sheep and never left.
When the island’s 439 enrolled voters head to the polling booth in five weeks, they will carry an incredibly unique set of worries. Elderly islanders dread the prospect of having to die in care on the mainland, away from their home communities. Parents fork out thousands every year to send their children to high schools on the mainland. Homeowners can’t gain any capital, as they’re cut off from accessing bank loans. Furthermore, it can take a week for air freight to arrive, and even longer for sea freight.
The Den Kitchen and the Historic Local Debate
The political gathering took place at The Den Kitchen, the island’s community hub on Norman Kirk Memorial Reserve. The venue sits adjacent to a stretch of field hosting annual weekend pig hunt competitions, including possum skinning, hog races (carcasses slung over wide backs) and who can sever the most swan heads. Close to 50 people attended the debate, representing “the entire electorate, and the entire police force” — all two of them.
Parliament established its institution 69 years prior to 1922, the landmark year Chatham islanders finally gained voting rights within their then-Lyttelton electorate, which was later absorbed into the Rongotai electorate in 1995. In actuality, the islands are closest to the Wairarapa seat. During the 2023 election, only 159 of about 437 enrolled voters cast a vote, with National gaining the strongest share of the party vote at 34.59%.
Voter Discontent at the Health Centre
Despite support for National on the island, shifting local conditions have complicated political loyalties. One former longtime National supporter in the debate crowd has since gone dark on the party due to conditions at the local health centre, which has been seriously understaffed for the last few months. Efforts initiated by the central government have also met with doubt; petrol prices have climbed while the diesel-dependent community saw little relief from three Point Durham wind turbines erected late last year with promises of lowering electricity costs.
| Metric / Item | Local Detail |
|---|---|
| Enrolled Voters | 439 voters (159 cast votes in 2023) |
| Previous Top Party Vote (2023) | National (34.59%) |
| Selected Retail Prices | Leek: $7.80 | Whittakers: $16.90 | Steinlager Classic (24-pack): $125 |
| Electorate Linkage | Closest to Wairarapa |
Candidates must now determine how to address an electorate that questions whether central government remembers them at all, even as the countdown continues toward the polling booths opening in five weeks.
