NZ First confirms broadcaster Michael Laws’ political comeback after mounting speculation

Friday, 3 July 2026

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters on speculation former MP turned broadcaster Michael Laws may stand for Waitaki electorate.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has confirmed broadcaster and former MP Michael Laws will stand for the party in the Waitaki electorate this year.

Laws is a former National MP who defected to NZ First in 1996, and later served as Whanganui mayor between 2004 and 2010.

The Waitaki seat is a traditional National stronghold, won by Miles Anderson in 2023 with a 12,151-vote margin over Labour.

Laws, who currently serves as an Otago regional councillor, will face competition from veteran Labour list MP Damien O’Connor.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has confirmed broadcaster Michael Laws will stand for the party in the Waitaki Electorate in November’s election.

Michael Laws has worked as a broadcaster, local body politician and MP.

Speculation had been building in recent days that Laws - one of the main hosts on independent media site The Platform, and a former MP and mayor - was set for a political comeback.

But the NZ First leader was reluctant to address that speculation earlier this week.

“What are you talking about, why are you asking me?” Peters told Stuff when asked about the murmurs on Tuesday. “I’m the leader of New Zealand First, we don’t handle this kind of basic stuff, that is handled by the party.”

Laws had also earlier alluded to a pending announcement while hosting his show on The Platform, but gave no details, and was tight-lipped when approached by Stuff on Tuesday morning. “I never comment on rumour or speculation,” he said.

Michael Laws is a councillor on the Otago Regional Council.

On Friday, Peters confirmed Laws, who serves as a regional councillor for the Dunstan constituency on the Otago Regional Council (ORC), would be seeking a return to Parliament.

“Laws has lived in the Waitaki electorate for more than a decade. His family has longstanding ties to the district: his father was Rector of Waitaki Boys’ High School, his youngest son attends St Kevin’s College in Oamaru, and Laws worked at Oamaru’s Brydone Hotel while studying at the University of Otago. He and his wife Cheryl live in Cromwell,” Peters said in a statement.

“Laws will be an asset to the New Zealand First team bringing a wealth of experience, skills, and leadership to Parliament.”

A former MP seeking a comeback

Laws is no stranger to Parliament, beginning as an MP with National in 1990 and resigning six years later after defecting to New Zealand First.

He later served as Whanganui mayor between 2004-2010.

The Waitaki electorate, under various name and boundary changes, has largely been a stronghold for National in recent decades, with the exception of 2005 when David Parker became the MP for the then-Otago electorate.

The seat was won by National’s Miles Anderson in the 2023 election, who succeeded long-serving MP Jacqui Dean. She had held the seat since 2008.

Anderson’s margin increased to 12,151 over Labour’s candidate.

Labour list MP, and former West Coast/Tasman MP Damien O’Connor is standing for Labour in the Waitaki seat.

On April 15, New Zealand First announced former All Black captain Taine Randell as the party’s candidate in the Hawke's Bay electorate of Tukituki.