Blair Cameron
Blair Cameron | |
|---|---|
.png) Cameron in 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | National |
Blair Cameron is a New Zealand researcher and political candidate. In the 2023 election, Cameron stood as the National Party candidate in the electorate of Nelson. He was narrowly defeated to incumbent MP Rachel Boyack by 26 votes.
Early life and career
[edit]Cameron 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
[edit]Cameron 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
[edit]Cameron enjoys kayaking, tramping, rugby and racing.[2][3]
References
[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.