The National Party’s candidate for the newly redrawn seat of Port Waikato is a committed electorate MP who likes getting stuck into issues affecting his communities.
“That's one of the main reasons I got into politics – I always wanted to be an electorate MP. I really enjoy constituent work and dealing promptly with queries and people’s problems.”
Whether it’s advocating on behalf of community groups, businesses, farmers, growers or individual constituents, he likes the challenges that come with representing people of all political persuasions.
And it shows. Bayly was elected to Parliament in 2014 as the National MP for Hunua with a majority of 17,376 votes. At the 2017 election, he increased his majority to 19,443, the third highest in the country.
Bayly puts that success down to what he calls “face time” – getting out and about the electorate, talking to people and putting in the hard yards on their behalf.
He also enjoys his portfolio responsibilities in Parliament. Those have expanded after his promotion to the Shadow Cabinet.
He believes being at the Cabinet table could be a major benefit for Port Waikato. A recent example has been his influence in getting National to include in its infrastructure policy a plan to extend the electrification of the railway line past Pukekohe and on to Pokeno.
Also included is a plan to four-lane the entire length of Mill Road from Manukau to Drury South, and triplelane the Southern Motorway from Papakura to Drury South.
Bayly is now National’s Spokesperson for Revenue, Commerce, State Owned Enterprises, Small Business and Manufacturing. He’s also Associate Finance Spokesperson and sits on the powerful Finance and Expenditure Select Committee.
He’s particularly happy with his newest portfolios of Small Business and Manufacturing because he believes he can make a big contribution to both.
“With my background in business, I specifically asked Judith (Collins) for the Manufacturing portfolio and she agreed. Manufacturing makes up 10 per cent of GDP. No other party has specifically allocated manufacturing as a separate portfolio - this is a first.”
While he’s getting to grips with his new portfolios, his other priority is getting to know communities in the newly redrawn electorate.
As well as parts of the old Hunua seat such as Awhitu, Waiuku, Clarks Beach, Glenbrook and Pukekohe, it now covers areas of North Waikato including Aka Aka, Otaua, Tuakau, Onewhero, Port Waikato, Pokeno, Mercer, Meremere, Maramarua, Te Kauwhata, Rangiriri, down to Te Akau and across to Waikeratu.
Geographically it’s a big electorate but Bayly’s already becoming familiar with it. And he’s been moved by the positive welcome extended to him.
Before he got into politics, Bayly had a successful career as a business owner and farmer.
A former officer in the New Zealand Territorial Army and British Parachute Regiment, he is also an adventurer who has competed in three Coast-to-Coast events, marathons and Ironman competitions, climbed mountains and trekked to both North and South Poles. His latest adventure was a 500km camel ride through Jordan retracing the World War I journey of Lawrence of Arabia.
Bayly is married to Tina and has three adult sons.
What does he stand for?
Since he was elected in 2014, Bayly has been committed to:
- Creating strong communities in which families and businesses thrive
- Getting the infrastructure communities deserve
- Supporting growers and farmers and the equine industry
- Improving access to good health services delivered locally.
Strengthening communities
Bayly believes community providers do a great job of supporting people in the region. He has:
- Supported many local agencies to operate more cohesively across the electorate to support families in need
- Helped establish 23 community teams during the Covid-19 Emergency and put in place arrangements to provide food and essential assistance to the most vulnerable members of our community
- Supported and represented community groups, causes and concerns at both local government level and in Parliament.
Supporting children
Bayly says the electorate is home to a growing number of young families so it’s vital its education system works well and children are well-supported. He has:
- Introduced the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Kiwi Can programme to Pukekohe North School and assisted with fundraising efforts
- Secured KidsCan to run a pilot at Te Hononga Puna Reo in Pukekohe
- Successfully advocated for new schools and extensions at Ormiston, Flat Bush and Belmont; and 10 new classrooms at Beachlands Primary.
Easier and safer to get around
Among the transport initiatives Bayly has been involved with, he has:
- Lobbied for the construction of an alternative motorway route from Drury to Manukau via Mill Road
- Advocated for a roundabout on SH22 around Paerata Rise
- Pushed for electrification of the rail link from Papakura to Pukekohe and through to Pokeno.
More health services delivered locally
As well as successfully lobbying Counties Manukau Health to provide additional mental health services in Franklin and helping secure new funding for Kawakawa Bay health clinic, Bayly has pledged to continue promoting improved local health services including:
- Retaining and improving facilities at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Waiuku
- Intervening as required to ensure the care provided by rest-home facilities are up to standard
- Advocating for a new hospital in Franklin to serve the south’s growing population.
Supporting agriculture and equine industries
Bayly sees growers, farmers and equine sectors as essential to the survival and prosperity of our communities. He will continue to:
- Fight for the protection of premium growing land
- Support farmers in dealing with increasing demands, including those imposed by councils, and help unlock access to international markets when required.
Live locally, work locally
Bayly believes young people deserve better opportunities to live and work locally so he works with local industries to develop pathways to local jobs through initiatives such as Pukekohe High School’s Horticultural Pathways programme.
“Whether it’s advocating on behalf of community groups, businesses, farmers, growers or individual constituents, he likes the challenges that come with representing people of all political persuasions.”