Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri
Sports administrator, rugby referee and business leader who led New Zealand Cricket's national officiating programme and held senior commercial roles.
Stated priorities: Working families, local business, stronger communities, common-sense government and opportunity for future generations.
Latest party-vote polling
Polls measure nationwide support for NZ First, not this candidate or this electorate — no electorate-level figures are published in these releases.
NZ First manifesto promises
43 policy commitments on file for the party this candidate stands for.
- • Break up Foodstuffs into separate New World/Four Square and Pak’nSave cooperatives to increase supermarket competition and lower grocery pricesnzfirst.nz
- • Split the large power companies into separate generators and retailers, reform wholesale pricing, and require fair payment for household solar exportsnzfirst.nz
- • Establish a New Zealand Future Fund of up to $100 billion for a ring-fenced, multi-decade national infrastructure programmenzfirst.nz
- • Buy back BNZ, merge it with Kiwibank, and create a commercially run, Crown-owned National Bank of New Zealandnzfirst.nz
- • Establish a Special Economic Zone at Marsden Point with streamlined consenting and possible investment and tax incentivesnzfirst.nz
- • Withdraw New Zealand from the Paris Agreementnzfirst.nz
- • [RNZ news source] Put economic development ahead of the climate narrative and survey offshore basins for oil and gas resourcesrnz.co.nz
- • [RNZ news source] Open conservation land outside national parks to mining and quarrying, and consider separating DOC concessions and access-permit functions from its conservation rolernz.co.nz
- • Break up the major gentailers into separate generation and retail businesses and reform wholesale electricity pricingnzfirst.nz
- • Invest $1 billion in a National Subsurface Development Survey covering energy, geothermal and CO₂-storage resourcesnzfirst.nz
- • Limit Jobseeker Support Work Ready to a two-year lifetime entitlement while requiring government and businesses to help willing workers find employmentnzfirst.nz
- • Make KiwiSaver enrolment compulsory at birth for New Zealand citizens with an immediate $1,000 Crown contributionnzfirst.nz
- • Make KiwiSaver compulsory for the wider workforce and increase employee and employer contribution rates to 8%, eventually reaching 10%nzfirst.nz
- • Examine lifting the adult minimum wage to at least $25 an hour by using a tax concession to help businesses fund the increasenzfirst.nz
- • Retain universal NZ Super eligibility and entitlement, opposing both means testing and raising the eligibility age to 67nzfirst.nz
- • Provide a tax-free $5,000 annual Kiwi Kids Grant for each of the first three children during their first three yearsnzfirst.nz
- • Provide a tax-free $5,000 annual Kiwi Kids Grant for each of the first three children during their first three years, where at least one parent is a New Zealand citizennzfirst.nz
- • Automatically enrol New Zealand-citizen babies in KiwiSaver with an immediate $1,000 Crown contributionnzfirst.nz
- • Refocus education on reading, writing and arithmetic; strengthen STEM pathways; review NCEA; make third-year tertiary study fees-free after successful progression; and refund fees for in-demand apprenticeships after each trade examinationnzfirst.nz
- • Restrict voting in national and local elections to New Zealand citizens rather than permanent residentsnzfirst.nz
- • Hold a referendum on whether to retain the Māori electoratesrnz.co.nz
- • Replace regional councils with locally chosen structures, including stronger catchment boards or catchment groupsrnz.co.nz
- • Oppose the proposed under-16 social-media ban, citing concerns about VPN restrictions, digital identification, enforceability and broader controls on online accessnzfirst.nz
- • Require new migrants to sign a commitment to New Zealand values, including democracy, freedom of religion and allegiance to the countryrnz.co.nz
- • Oppose new skilled-residence pathways and favour extending existing work visas where short-term workforce demand must be metrnz.co.nz
- • Recognise Palestinian statehood when a legitimate representative government and credible electoral mandate are in placernz.co.nz
Speeches and coverage
Stories and statements that name Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri, updated automatically as they are published.
- Nothing naming this candidate has been collected yet.
Recent NZ First speeches and statements
- 28 Aug 2026Official party siteCampaign speechSeniors Sole Defender
Winston Peters speech on NZ Super, senior support and wider campaign commitments.
- 23 Aug 2026Official party siteFiscal speechOld parties' fiscal policy devoid of economic strategy
Winston Peters argued Labour and National lacked a coherent fiscal and economic strategy, presenting NZ First’s approach as focused on domestic ownership, productive investment, infrastructure, savings and national economic sovereignty.
- 22 Aug 2026Official party sitePolicy releaseUse It or Lose It dairy policy
NZ First proposed increasing regulated milk access for qualifying manufacturers from 50 million to 500 million litres annually for ten years to stimulate new value-added dairy processing and retain more export value in New Zealand.
- 2 Aug 2026Official party sitePolicy releaseKiwi Kids Grant
Annual grant for qualifying families with young children.
- 20 Jul 2026The SpinoffCampaign launch analysisNZ First launches campaign with energy and sovereignty themes
The campaign launch combined a $1 billion offshore resource survey proposal, economic-nationalist policies and culture-war positions while showcasing former National and Labour figures.
- 19 Jul 2026RNZConference newsNational defectors explain why they are backing NZ First
RNZ coverage of NZ First's conference, members and campaign launch.
- 19 Jul 2026YouTubeSocial media — Campaign launch speechNew Zealand First / Winston Peters: Campaign launch speech
Full NZ First campaign-launch address from the party's 2026 convention. Evidence: Official party video; convention closing-day date
- 6 Jul 2026Official party sitePolicy releaseCitizens Only Voting
NZ First proposal to restrict voting rights to citizens.