Video: Katie Nimon says she has worked hard to build on connections established in last election
National’s Napier candidate Katie Nimon says she has worked hard to build on the connections she established in the last election where she was beaten by incumbent MP Stuart Nash.
With Nash having decided not to restand, Nimon had an early start in the campaign before Labour chose Nash’s former campaign manager Mark Hutchinson as its candidate.
Also standing are Democracy NZ’s Martin Langford, Julienne Dickey of the Green Party, Laurie Turnbull of New Zealand First, the National Party’s Katie Nimon, Pawel Milewski of the ACT Party, and John Smith.
In an interview with Hawke’s Bay App three days out from the election, Nimon was cautious about how her campaign was going.
“I don't know. I always say I'm quite a superstitious person, so I will never count my chickens before they hatch, but it has been a really long campaign. I've worked so hard. I have been in communities across the electorate. So I haven't just stayed in Napier City, I've been all the way around. I've done 26,000 kilometres’ since January.”
“I guess the best thing I can say is that I have worked so, so hard. I'm happy with how I've done, and so I just hope that the result reflects that and yeah, we'll see what happens on Saturday night.”
She says she has learnt from the last election.
“I think the first one was laying the foundation. The second one I've been able to build off the connections that I've got, build off the way I know the electorate.”
“You know the issues of every area, whether it's dealing with farmers that have got TB issues because of bad pest management or infrastructure issues in certain country towns, and certain communities that have safety concerns over others that might not be as bad. And so you know where those issues are, and you can start off where you left off, I guess.”
Asked if she was concerned about voter turnout so far, Nimon said says she does not think it matters in terms of voter behaviour.
“I just think ultimately everybody I talk to, there's a mood for change, and some people are super traditional. They'll say, ‘No, I'm waiting for the day. I need to go in there and I need to go and do it on the day’.”
“And they make something out of it. So I think more than anything, we'll see what the result is on the day. I don't think we'll have a lower turnout. I think it'll be much the same. But again, I'm not going to see that into the crystal ball.”
Asked about the robust debates she has had with Hutchinson, Nimon said: “For me, it's really about making sure that I reflect the National Party values and policies, and speak to those, so that people know who they're voting for and what they're voting for.”
“I want to be a strong MP in a National government. And it's really clear, and I make that clear every single time I talk, because that's the party I believe in, and that's the government I want to represent. So I think that makes a big difference when you get in there as an MP, representing a government that's in power makes an enormous difference.”
Nimon says that because Napier is a diverse electorate, there are a number of issues that are important, from infrastructure and roading in the rural areas to crime and cost of living in more urban areas.
She says that if she elected as MP, she will advocate o behalf of the whole electorate.
“For me, it's really about making sure that I reflect the National Party values and policies, and speak to those, so that people know who they're voting for and what they're voting for.”
“I want to be a strong MP in a National government. And it's really clear, and I make that clear every single time I talk, because that's the party I believe in, and that's the government I want to represent. So I think that makes a big difference when you get in there as an MP, representing a government that's in power makes an enormous difference.”
Asked what she felt she could have done more of in the campaign, Nimon said: “I wish that I'd set up my community meetings earlier. So I've gone into the rural communities in the last month or so and done community meetings around the electorate, some of the more remote areas. Takes me sort of three hours to get to some of them.”
“And I want to continue doing that. After the election, hopefully I become the MP. I'll continue to do those community meetings in remote areas. But that's been hugely beneficial.”
Asked why people should vote for her, Nimon said: “I'm a connected, committed person. I will be a connected and committed MP. And so for me, it's just making sure that the community has someone that they know they can go to, someone that is accessible and approachable that wants to know every person and their issues, and doesn't want to hide from it. I want to be a part of it.”
“I think that that's what people need. And going through what we're going through with cyclone recovery, people need someone they can have on speed dial, that they can take their issues to, to make sure that no one's out of touch with reality, that we're in it with them. So that's what I want to be, and I know that people will appreciate that.”
Watch the accompanying video for the full interview with Katie Nimon.
