National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis has dismissed concerns about potentially losing her seat in Parliament following the upcoming election, maintaining her focus on increasing the party’s overall vote share rather than her personal electoral prospects. Willis, who currently serves as finance minister and ranks second on National’s party list, is not contesting an electorate seat in this election cycle.
Recent polls have placed both National and Labour parties at 28 percent support, with implications that National would need to lose up to 16 electorates for any list MPs, including Willis, to enter Parliament under current polling trends. Some on the political right have advocated for "strategic" voting intended to secure National electorate wins while preventing list MPs from entering Parliament, thereby creating an overhang in favour of right-leaning candidates.
On a radio call-in show last week, a voter identified as Roy expressed his intention to split his vote in a way that would exclude National list MPs. Roy stated that this approach aimed to ensure the party remained accountable for cutting government spending.
Willis responded to questions about the possibility of failing to return to Parliament by emphasizing her commitment to growing National’s party vote. “The answer to that question is no,” she said, emphasizing that each day she concentrates on strategies to bring National back into government. “I do have confidence that we are going to grow our party vote through this campaign,” she added, citing positive feedback from undecided voters during the campaign trail.
Meanwhile, Harry Mowbray, affiliated with the family behind the Zuru toy company, is reportedly managing a website encouraging right-wing voters to split their votes, aiming to produce an overhang that excludes National list MPs but retains electorate seats. Mowbray expressed surprise that Willis did not contest the safe National electorate of Kaipara Ki Mahurangi, currently held by Chris Penk.
Willis explained her decision not to stand in an electorate was a deliberate choice to concentrate on the party vote. “I’ve had a bit of a golden rule in politics, which is don’t make it about you,” she said, adding that focusing on personal fortunes detracts from serving the party and its goals.
Throughout her political career, Willis has entered Parliament solely through the party list. She previously contested the Wellington Central seat in 2017 and 2020, and the Ōhāriu electorate in 2023, losing to Labour candidates each time. Reflecting on her experiences, Willis said she misses aspects of the electorate campaigning, including volunteer engagement and local election events. She indicated a willingness to support candidates’ campaigns by attending business forums and participating in door-knocking activities despite not standing as a candidate herself.