New Zealand / Politics

National re-selects embattled MP Barbara Kuriger for Taranaki-King Country electorate

21:09 pm on 20 April 2023

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

National has re-selected embattled MP Barbara Kuriger to contest the Taranaki-King Country electorate.

Kuriger has held the safe blue seat since 2014, but faced a challenge from secondary school teacher Brian Winter.

Last October she resigned from her Agriculture, Food Safety, and Biosecurity portfolios over a "significant" conflict of interest, related to an ongoing dispute she and her family had with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

At the time National leader Christopher Luxon called it a serious lapse of judgement, and said it was highly unlikely she would hold agricultural portfolios again.

The Taranaki-King Country electorate has been won by National since its inception in 1996.

Kuriger first won the seat in 2014 and held it for the two following elections, most recently beating Labour's Angela Roberts by more than 3000 votes.