National’s candidate for Waitākere knows campaigning can be ‘devastating’, but she keeps coming back for more.

Through the window at Titirangi’s Deco Eatery, lush green trees sway in the wind, birds sing from the bushes, and an unusually warm winter sun shines down. In contrast with the wilderness outside, inside sits a woman who makes you wonder whether some just emerge from the womb with a quiet elegance. As she sips her coffee, there’s nary a hair out of place on Agnes Loheni’s head. A career in both fashion and politics can teach you a thing or two about being polished.

She might not seem it on the surface, but Loheni is westside hard. She’s lived in the area since she was nine, when her family moved from an overcrowded state house in Mt Albert to a rental in New Lynn. Loheni ran in Māngere for the National Party in the 2017 and 2020 elections, and as a list-only candidate in 2023. She thought that race would be her last, but with her kids leaving the nest and the “green shoots” in the economy needing to be nurtured, Loheni decided to throw her hat back in the ring for her neighbourhood.

Loheni is running in Waitākere, one of two former West Auckland electorates revived by recent last year’s boundary changes. It started off as a Labour safe seat, but the last MP to represent the electorate was National’s Paula Bennett – though she only won the seat’s last race in 2011 by nine votes, beating Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni. The seat is a combination of the former New Lynn electorate, a longtime Labour stronghold until the 2023 blue wave, and Kelston, which incumbent MP Sepuloni intends to retain.

West, as we all know, is best. But it could always be better, Loheni reckons. Crime and safety remain prominent issues with locals concerned with roaming dogs and petty thefts, and Loheni, who serves on her local community safety group in New Lynn, hears all about it. There’s also the issues of public transport and parking availability, with the area’s rising population pushing its infrastructure beyond its limits. “There’s a lot of new developments, new homes and new families,” Loheni says. “It’s a mix of established and new families, very multicultural, and we’ve got to help it to grow.”

For Loheni, campaigning is a family affair. It starts with negotiating with her sisters for time away from her job at Mena, the family fashion business, established by and named after Loheni’s mother. Her mum and dad always help, making signs, the kids come door knocking and even family members who don’t subscribe to National Party values come out to wave signs for their whanaunga. But sharing in success also means having to ride out the losses, and Loheni knows that while she can put herself through it, it’s different for those fighting for you. “Those really devastating moments feel harder for them,” she explains. “At first I thought, ‘I won’t go through that again’. It can be quite ugly too, when the kids see the trolling… I tell them I don’t take it personally.”

For Loheni, who previously served 20 months as an MP, there remains “unfinished business”. She first entered parliament in January 2019, replacing retiring MP Chris Finlayson. “I remember him telling me, ‘you’ve got to use these,'” she says, showing off her elbows. But that’s not really Loheni’s style, she explains: “I’m more of a team player. But that could be a weakness in politics.”

Those nearly two years spent as a National Party MP were “weird”, she remembers. Mix the Bridges-Muller-Collins leadership fiasco with the pandemic and a caucus with a lot of “different personalities”, and you get “a lot of ups and downs”. There were parts of the job Loheni was “still coming to grips with”, like having to speak in the House on a bill you’re only vaguely familiar with and the fact that “for some reason, we were always in urgency”. But there are other parts of the job she “really loved”, like serving on the Social Services and Community Committee and being able to speak to and visit communities outside of national politics.

At 58 on the party list, Loheni needs to win her electorate if she wants a parliamentary return. She only narrowly missed coming back in 2023, when she sat at 28 on the list but National’s success in electorates trumped her spot. And while Loheni may be polished, resilient and community-driven, it may be a long road ahead to turn this seat blue again.

Loheni is one of three Pasifika candidates running on the National ticket, alongside Angee Nicholas (Henderson) and Rosemary Bourke (Māngere). The party has copped a bit of stick for its lack of Pasifika representation this term, with Paul Goldsmith as the minister responsible for the Pacific peoples. A Horizon research poll commissioned by Pacific Media Network found only 11% of Pacific voters intended to vote for National this year – far below Labour at 50%. The red team has historically enjoyed a loyal voter base in Pasifika communities, but if you ask Loheni, the policies National are putting on the table are “actually really Pacific values”.

National’s politics of personal responsibility are similar to the village structure in Samoa, she explains. “You are expected to look after your family,” Loheni says. “The village chief will make sure that anyone who’s disorderly is dealt with, but you’re still responsible for your family”. She sees her “strong Pacific Christian values” in natural alignment with the party. “There’s nothing there in conflict with me.”

THE SPINOFF PUB Q+A

How much should a pint cost?

I think the last time I drank beer was when I was living in London. I’ve never been a beer drinker… Probably today it costs about $5.

Do you have a karaoke go-to?

I try to find the lowest register. The last one I did was ‘Blue Bayou’ [by Roy Orbison].

Favourite place to get a drink in Aotearoa?

I do like to come here to Deco. Lately, I’ve been getting together with my girlfriends and going over to the Jervois Road Wine Bar and Kitchen, they’ve got an RnB singer performing every couple of weeks. It’s a little bar, but such a good vibe.

Which three candidates would be on your pub quiz team?

My good friend Rosemary [Bourke], who is a candidate for Māngere. I also went to school with her. [Takanini incumbent] Rima Nakhle is such a good time, but also she will bring all of the food and snacks – her hospitality is amazing. And maybe Goldie, because he’s a historian and should be able to get all the questions right while we’re talking.

Which candidate from across the aisle would you most like to share a drink with?

Definitely [Labour’s Kenepuru candidate] Barbara Edmonds, who I’ve met a few times now.  She’s absolutely lovely, and I’m pretty sure we must be related because we’re from the same village in Samoa. I think we’re very similar in many ways, she’s a hard worker and I’m jealous of how many kids she has.

Is there an alcohol-related law you would like to change?

I think we could be stronger on incidents related to drink driving. You’ve got to take some responsibility in your drinking, and there should be harsher penalties if you’ve killed someone else.

What’s a policy area we’ve been nursing without finishing the glass?

For me, the economy of women. If you look at the trajectory of our lives – having children and being in and out of employment – there’s perhaps less ability to be financially secure. I always think, how can we make it an incentive for women that want to have more children, have more children?

I’m all about making sure that women are supported with having children if they want to at some point get into the workforce. But also, if they want to stay home, I think it’s the best thing for our country to allow women to raise kids and nurture their lives for as long as possible before going back to work. I know there’s a cost to that, but there’s also a cost if you don’t.

What qualities make a good drinking partner?

Someone that makes you laugh, but doesn’t get too drunk.

Have you ever had a Schnapps election moment where you regretted your political instinct?

What I’ve found hardest in politics is the fear that I will say something wrong. Everything you say has a magnifying glass to it, and it can be ballooned and taken out of context. I think then the problem becomes that people can’t just be frank and real and authentic because I think they’re guarded. I know I felt that very early on.

Up next on One Candidate, One Pint: Act Party list-only candidate Paul Henry. Read more One Candidate, One Pint interviews here.