It’s the last day of Fieldays!
Thank you to everyone who came over to the New Zealand First stall and had a chat, it’s always a great opportunity to engage and hear from our rural communities.
If you’re still in town tomorrow don’t miss hearing from our leader &winston Peter’s at the Cambridge town hall tomorrow at 2pm!
https://t.co/welRLcSsOV
It’s been a great week at the Mystery Creek Fieldays so far, and with only one day left, make sure you get over to the New Zealand First stall (RLL38) and catch up with the team. 🇳🇿
The New Zealand First team have been on the ground at Fieldays this week listening and engaging with Kiwis from our rural communities.
Make sure to stop by the New Zealand First stall - RLL38.
Today Mark Patterson has announced a new funding package that backs our rural communities and ensures they are equipped to face intense weather events:
- $160,000 to strengthen the 16 Rural Advisory Groups
- $50,000 to boost Taskforce Kiwi
- $50,000 to help train rural leaders to plan for resilient regions
NZFirst Candidate for Hamilton East Announced
New Zealand First is announcing today that Nicola Laboyrie will stand for New Zealand First in the Hamilton East electorate at the general election.
Nicola Laboyrie has lived in the Waikato for over 30 years and has built a life grounded in business, farming, sport, and community involvement.
Laboyrie’s career has included tertiary teaching in business studies at Wintec, running a fishing charter business, and currently owns and operates a 295-hectare beef farm near Te Uku, giving her firsthand insight into the challenges facing rural communities, small businesses, and primary producers.
A current member of the Raglan Community Board, Laboyrie brings practical governance experience and a deep understanding of local community decision-making. She has built a reputation as a thoughtful advocate who is committed to ensuring communities have a genuine voice in the policies and decisions that affect them.
Laboyrie holds a Master of Management Studies in Strategic Management from the University of Waikato, and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University of Wellington. Her education, combined with professional experience, has provided a strong foundation in strategic thinking, leadership, governance, and organisational management.
Laboyrie brings a combination of governance experience, strong educational credentials, business leadership, and community advocacy, underpinned by a commitment to fairness, transparency, and practical solutions for local communities.
Laboyrie is standing for New Zealand First because she believes in small, effective government that serves the people, restores common sense, reduces waste, and puts New Zealanders first.
NZFirst Candidate for Taranaki-King Country Announced
New Zealand First is announcing today that Lee Smith will stand for New Zealand First in the Taranaki-King Country electorate at the general election.
Lee Smith has been an active advocate for rural communities and local democracy. She has been involved as a local spokesperson for Groundswell New Zealand, a grassroots movement that advocates for practical policy solutions affecting farmers, rural communities, and regional New Zealand. Groundswell is an advocacy organisation focused on ensuring rural voices are heard in national policy discussions.
Smith has publicly represented Groundswell on local government issues, including speaking on behalf of the organisation during campaigns relating to the Government’s Three Waters reforms, where she advocated for greater local input and accountability in decision-making.
Smith was born and raised in Taranaki and comes from a strong farming background as the daughter of dairy farmers and a former dairy farmer herself. With more than 20 years of experience in business management, retail leadership, and community engagement, she has built a reputation for practical problem-solving, strong leadership, and a commitment to serving local people.
A proud rural New Zealander, Smith combines business experience with a strong understanding of the challenges facing families, farmers, small businesses, and provincial communities. She is passionate about ensuring that decisions affecting local communities are informed by common sense, transparency, and meaningful consultation.
Smith is standing for New Zealand First because she believes our country needs strong representation that puts New Zealanders first, protects our democracy, supports our regions, and ensures future generations inherit a nation they can be proud of.
We're investing nearly $100,000 to support the Rural Champions Wellbeing Programme to ensure our young farmers have the support they need to thrive and build a future here in New Zealand.