Four more candidates

National has announced a further four candidates, bringing them close to the end of their selections with 61 out of 63 electorate candidates selected. Only Dunedin North and Selwyn remain. The candidates list has been updated.

Dr Jackie Blue has been re-selected in Mt Roskill. Jackie has been high profile for a new MP, especially on the Herceptin issue.

Mita Harris is standing in Mangere. Mita is a Programme Manager for Community Relations and Biodiversity Asset.

Cam(pbell) Calder standing in Manurewa is is a Doctor and Clinical Research Director, and a past President of the French New Zealand Business Council.

In Manukau East, Kanwal JS Bakshi is the candidate. He is a graduate of Delhi University, the Secretary of the Auckland Sikh Society and Vice Chair of the Indian Trade Group and Hindu Heritage Management.

The selections are not quite complete, as there are up to five list only candidates to be nominated plus the two outstanding seats. However it is interesting that it is already one of the ethnically diverse slates of candidates with six Maori candidates, a PI candidate, a Chinese candidate and two Indian candidates. National isn’t into quotas at all, but does have an awareness that it is desirable for its candidates to represent the diversity that makes up NZ. Heh in some parties diversity probably means you have been a member of both the EPMU and the SWFU 🙂

I’ll wait until all candidates are confirmed before doing a full demographic breakdown. The occupational breakdowns are often interesting too – how many from business, how many farming, how many doctors, teachers, community sector employees etc.