ELECTION 2026 CANDIDATE PROFILE - GARY PAYINDA, LABOUR

In this, the third of our Meet the Candidates interviews, we put a number of questions to Gary Payinda, Labour candidate, Whangarei electorate. Here is the full list of questions and Gary's response.

 QUESTIONS

1. Do you believe you can make a greater contribution to society as a member of Parliament than you can as an emergency medical specialist? 

SAFETY NETS AND LONG SHOTS

The release of the 2026 Labour and Green Party lists has delivered contrasting fortunes for Northland’s parliamentary hopefuls. It has created guaranteed safety nets for two high-profile MPs while leaving a local challenger facing a near-impossible mountain to climb.

At 49th on the party list, Labour’s Whangārei candidate, Dr Gary Payinda, has virtually no chance of securing a list seat based on current polling. He now faces a must-win battle to wrest the Whangārei electorate from National.