Meet Qiulae Wong, the new Leader of The Opportunity Party.
There are a number of things to like about T.O.P., who, despite the small scale resources at hand, have a surprisingly well oiled public relations machine. It is noted by the effective graphics employed on their website, the social media accounts appearance and that they have managed to attract a diverse array of people across ethnic and age groups, employment backgrounds and walks of life.
Policy wise, in 2023 and even now, mid-cycle in 2025, T.O.P. have the most original policy platform of any of the parties in or seriously vying for Parliament. Their tax policy at the last election was a revelation – 0.75% land value tax in return for no income tax on the first $15,000 you earn; letting local government bodies hold the G.S.T. they collect on rates to dampen rate rises; legalising cannabis and introducing a Universal Basic Income.
Philosophically, T.O.P. see no point in the divide and conquer politics, or the culture wars that other parties seem to be keen on importing into New Zealand.
Their leading candidates in 2023 ranged from new comers standing for the first time, to relatively seasoned campaigners such as Jessica Hammond, who stood in Ohariu. Many have stayed with the party, suggesting a deeper commitment to changing New Zealand than just a 3-year voting whim. The candidates working background covered engineering, medicine, public service among other areas.
With all that said, there is no doubt though that T.O.P. face significant challenges getting Ms Wong into Parliament.
Most obviously the 5% party vote threshold that all parties who cannot win an electorate seat need to meet or better, to be in Parliament. Without the electioneering machinery of the bigger parties to target particular electorate, the best bet is to aim for 5% of the party vote across the voting populace.
A second challenge – almost first equal – is visibility. If one is not a follower of New Zealand politics, or only aware of the Parliamentary parties, then who is T.O.P.?
A third challenge that T.O.P. faces, is the one that I suspect derailed them in 2023. The Taxpayers Union. In 2023 it saw T.O.P. for the party it is: a saboteur of the neoliberal status quo, which has enabled a select few to get very rich at the expense of everybody else. The debate hosted by them in Christchurch just before Parliament was dissolved for the election was – in my opinion – deliberately set with polling that favoured Hamish Campbell to spook voters, who might have otherwise entertained the idea of another non-National M.P. for the electorate.
A fourth challenge is getting the attention of lower socio-economically well off people and electorates, such as the West Coast and Christchurch East in the South Island, Ikaroa-Rawhiti and Northland in the North Island. It is too early to know what kind of strategy T.O.P. are going to employ with these groups, but getting them on board will help suck up some of the votes that would otherwise go to Te Pati Maori or Labour.
I am casting my vote for The Opportunity Party in 2026 because I am convinced that neither of the big parties have New Zealand’s best interests at heart. New Zealand First should be renamed Winston First, as a vehicle for keeping Winston Peters in Parliament despite his slipping performance. As for the fringe parties being simply too extreme in their respective ways for mainstream New Zealand, both A.C.T. and the Greens have on occasion contributed useful legislation to Parliament, but they cancel themselves out in mistakenly believing they are the new National and Labour.
So that leaves T.O.P., right now the sanest party in New Zealand politics, despite not holding a single seat in Parliament and persistently being ignored by the polls. Having a party viewed by some as an upstart, or pesky new comer – despite having been around since 2016 – is apparently a bit upsetting to the corporate pollsters, scared that the political system which has treated them so well, is about to get gate crashed.
If New Zealanders want an end to the neoliberal status quo, the divisive divide and conquer politics being promoted by the current Government and some real policy, then New Zealand needs to vote for Ms Wong and T.O.P. The has work to do becoming an appealing outsider that can do good. However, in terms of socio-economic change for the better with tangible value, T.O.P. are the closest thing to a diamond in the rough for New Zealand politics.
*Rob Glennie is a current member of The Opportunity Party.
Leftist Kiwi Writes 