The following is from the board of Democracy NZ:

DemocracyNZ was formed in March 2022 on the fundamental principles of democracy, unity and equality. We stand for freedom, for family, and for farming.

During the course of the past 10 months, we have announced a number of candidates. These candidates have come from a wide range of backgrounds and skills.

Yesterday, the Board of DemocracyNZ addressed an ongoing issue with a candidate who was unhappy with Board decisions and governance of the party in general. This is not something we take lightly, but the decision as a Board was unanimous. As a consequence, four other candidates have chosen to resign. We thank Steve Cranston, Kirsten Murfitt, Lee Smith, Matt Shelton and Bill Dyet for their contributions, and wish them the very best for the future.

We understand this might be an unsettling and confusing time for some – but it is not uncommon to have candidates to decide to depart from a party before an election.

We remain strong, united, committed, and focussed on the mission we embarked on when we started this party – which is to fight for our country and restore democracy in a fair and reasonable manner. We will contest the 2023 General Election in October this year.

We have talented and dedicated candidates running in seats around the country, who have continued to pledge their support for DemocracyNZ, and will continue to work hard for the very reasons our party’s mission states.

We thank you for your support.

Regards,

Matt King, Party Leader

Danny Simms, Party President