Labour chooses heavy hitter as Taupō candidate
Union boss Chris Flatt has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the Taupō electorate. Photo: Supplied
The Labour Party has selected an experienced campaigner to contest the Taupō Electorate in this year’s general election.
By Dan Hutchinson
Union boss Chris Flatt says Taupō could have two MP’s if they vote for him, citing incumbent MP Louise Upston’s likely high ranking on the party list.
Flatt, from Cambridge, is the national secretary of the Dairy Workers Union, and former general secretary of the NZ Labour Party and could rank highly on the list himself.
He is currently the Affiliates Vice-President on the NZ Council of the Labour Party, the body that oversees the all-important party list, although he will have to step aside from that process now he is a candidate.
"I think there's some really serious issues in the region and the region needs more representation in terms of a voice for local communities.”
The Taupō Electorate is a vast area, stretching from Cambridge to the Desert Rd, including the Taupō and South Waikato districts.
Flatt cited job cuts across towns including Putāruru, Tokoroa and Kinleith as motivating factors for his decision to stand.
His union represents workers at multiple dairy sites across the electorate, including facilities in Lichfield, Taupō, Miraka and Whareroa.
He brings extensive political experience to the campaign, having served as Labour Party General Secretary from 2009 to 2012 and currently sits on the party's governing board, though he cannot participate in list ranking decisions due to his candidacy.
Flatt has two degrees from the University of Waikato, including a social science degree in Industrial Relations and Politics and a law degree, having studied under Labour MP Margaret Wilson when she was the Dean of Waikato Law.
He worked as an employment lawyer in Auckland and Sydney before joining the Electrical Trades Union in Australia for five years.
He has also been the director of the Primary Industry Training Organisation, and director of the NZ Industry Training Organisation (NZITO).
Flatt serves as deputy chair of Trust Waikato, a role that has given him insight into South Waikato issues. He has also been involved with Muka Tangata, the Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector.
He says cost of living pressures and cuts to health and education services are key campaign issues affecting communities across the electorate.
He points to the risk of closure for Taupō and Tokoroa polytechnic campuses, as examples of government policy failures. Both campuses were given a stay of execution earlier this year while other options were considered.
"You got the cuts going on at the paper and pulp mills, those loss of jobs and then we're not training the next generation."
He plans to take leave from his union role for about 10 weeks prior to the November 7 election and will spend time in the Taupō District, acknowledging he needs to build stronger connections in the southern parts of the electorate.
"I've not grown up in Taupō. One of the things that I'm really keen to be doing over the next little while with this campaign is to connect with the community and to hear what the major issues (are) going on in the area."
He has established networks across the electorate through his union work and maintains connections with former Labour MP Mark Burton, who lives in Taupō.
Flatt's union role requires regular travel to dairy processing sites from Whangārei in the north to Waverley in the south.
Upston has had a stranglehold on the Taupō Electorate in recent times, winning the seat in 2023 with 24,858 votes compared with second placed candidate Aladdin Al-Bustanji on 8353. She has been the MP for Taupō since 2008 and has confirmed her reselection for the coming election.
The Labour Party's list rankings will be determined in early June, following regional selection processes over the coming month.
Flatt says his focus is on winning the seat but acknowledges the importance of list placement.
"You always want to seek support for a good ranking, a good, high ranking of course. But my role first and foremost is to be connecting with communities and workers and businesses across Taupō Electorate."
The formal campaign period begins about three months before the November 7 election date, when spending restrictions and other regulations take effect.
Flatt says campaigning activities are already underway through community engagement and network building.
“Taupō’s natural resources and attractions make it a destination for many who live outside the region, but it also needs to continue to be a fantastic place to live and work for the numerous different communities who call this region their home. As an electorate MP, I’ll be looking at ways to ensure that government decisions first and foremost work for local people and their communities.
“We need to turn the tide on the ongoing erosion of workers’ jobs, rights, pay, and conditions that have taken place under the coalition government. Looking after local jobs and our local workforce is fundamental to economic recovery and rebuilding our local communities that have been battered by the escalating cost of living under this government.
“My union experience both in Australia and New Zealand over the last 20 years means I’m campaign ready. I look forward to meeting people from all over the Taupō and South Waikato electorate to find out how we can work together to find solutions to their issues and concerns as the election gets closer.”