Labour List MP and former West Coast farmer Damien O’Connor is set to run against Miles Anderson for the Waitaki electorate at the election.

The spokesperson for trade, land Information and regional development moved to Dunedin last year, but was first elected to Parliament in 1993.

Damien served as a Minister in both the fifth and sixth Labour Governments, and has been a spokesperson in opposition for a variety of roles, including Agriculture, Biosecurity, Food Safety, Tourism, Immigration and Health.

In the 2020 Labour Government, Damien O’Connor was appointed Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, and Minister for Land Information. He was also previously the Minister for Rural Communities.

The Waitaki electorate covers Cromwell in Central Otago but not Alexandra, Roxburgh and the Maniototo - which is covered under the Southland/Queenstown Lakes electorate by Joseph Mooney.

During the 2023 New Zealand general election, Damien was unseated by National MP Maureen Pugh, who won the West Coast-Tasman by a margin of 1,017 votes. Despite losing his seat, Damien was re-elected to Parliament on the Labour Party list.

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