Blair Cameron is a New Zealand researcher and politician. Shown as the winner of the Nelson electorate at the 2023 election based on preliminary results, the final results gave the incumbent a narrow lead of 26 votes.
Blair Cameron | |
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.png) Cameron in 2023 | |
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| Political party | National |
Early life and career
editCameron grew up in rural Canterbury outside Methven, where his mother was a schoolteacher and his father was a barman at the working men's club.[1] Cameron was schooled in Highbank, and at Mount Hutt College.[2] At the age of sixteen, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Li Po Chun United World College.[3] He gained a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Brown University in the United States before working as a senior research specialist at Princeton University.[4] Cameron has worked as a research officer for the International Monetary Fund’s legal department and as a consultant for the World Bank.[2] His work for the World Bank involved researching how governments could be made less corrupt.[3] He returned to New Zealand in 2020 for a friend's wedding, and decided to stay. His mother had moved to Nelson and so he settled there.[5][3]
Political career
editCameron was selected by the National Party to contest the Nelson electorate at the 2023 election. He was 35th on the party list.[6] Preliminary results showed him beating incumbent Labour Party MP Rachel Boyack by 54 votes.[7] He identified Nelson infrastructure and health services as areas he would prioritise. He is concerned about the state of Nelson hospital, which he says "might fall down if we have a decent sized earthquake".[3] Cameron and the National Party health spokesperson Shane Reti have said rebuilding Nelson hospital is a top priority, although Boyack alleges National Party leader Christopher Luxon has not committed to it.[8]
Following the release of final results on 3 November, Cameron's election night victory was overturned, with Boyack winning by a narrow margin of 29 votes. In response, the National Party sought a judicial recount in the Nelson electorate on 8 November.[9][10] On 10 November, the Electoral Commission confirmed that Boyack had won Nelson by a margin of 26 votes, three votes fewer than the final vote results.[11]
Personal life
editReferences
edit- ^ Samantha Gee (28 September 2023). "Nelson candidates debate crime, wealth tax and government spending". RNZ. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Radcliffe, Kiah (19 February 2023). "Blair Cameron selected as National candidate for Nelson 2023". Stuff. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Townshend, Katie (12 March 2023). "Meet Blair Cameron: the National newcomer who wants to be Nelson's MP". Stuff. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "National announces Nelson candidate for general election | Nelson App". nelsonapp.co.nz. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Nathan Morton (21 October 2023). "The faces of the South Island's new leaders following blue election tidal wave". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Community Scoop » National Selects Māngere And Panmure-Ōtāhuhu Candidates". Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Electoral Commission. "Preliminary results".
- ^ Townshend, Katie (12 October 2023). "Labour challenges National's commitment to Nelson Hospital rebuild". Stuff. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Perry, James (8 November 2023). "Judicial recounts confirmed in three electorates". Te Ao Māori News. Māori Television. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ Dexter, Giles (8 November 2023). "District Court confirms judicial recounts for Nelson, Mt Albert, Tāmaki Makaurau". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ "Labour's Rachel Boyack confirms 26-vote win in Nelson recount". Radio New Zealand. 10 November 2023. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.