Safe battleground

Kaikōura

General electorate

—

days to election day

What it takes to flip this seat

Stuart Smith won by 11,412 votes in 2023. 5,706 voters switching to NZ First would have flipped Kaikōura.

In the news

Coverage naming Kaikōura or Stuart, from our tracked feeds.

The roster

The defender's record, and who's confirmed to challenge them in 2026.

Won Kaikōura by a majority of 11,412 in 2023, making it a safe seat.

Stuart Tayler Smith is a New Zealand National Party politician. He was first elected as a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Kaikōura electorate, representing the National Party, in the 2014 general election. As of 2025, he is Senior Whip of the National Party and Chief Government Whip.

Full MP profile

What Stuart has prioritised this term

Official roles, sourced from parliament.nz.

Spokesperson roles

National Whip

Select committees

Business
Standing Orders

Legislative activity this term

From Parliament's official bills record, as at 28 August 2026.

No government bill in charge, members' bill passed, or members' bill currently in the ballot for Stuart this term. We checked that against the official record, so it isn't a gap in our data.

Battlegrounds map 2026 election

2023 result and margin: Electoral Commission. 2026 candidates are added only once officially confirmed — never assumed.