Dunedin voter Tyler Proctor will be making two ticks for Labour this election. In the latest instalment of Characters of the Campaign trail, he explains why.

Name: Tyler Proctor

Age: 26

Occupation: Administrator

Living situation: Renting an apartment

Electorate: Dunedin

Who will you vote for? Rachel Brooking (Labour) and party vote Labour. I’m a member of the Labour Party. 

What appeals to you about Labour? Right now, voting Labour is the only way we can guarantee a change of government. I’ve party voted for the Greens before and would again in the future, but ultimately we need this government gone. Historically, Labour brought in some of the biggest changes that have affected me personally, like marriage equality and homosexual law reform. As a gay man myself, these things have led me to the life I live right now, where I can be confident and comfortable in my own skin and not have to worry too much about how I’m treated. 

What are the three biggest issues for you this election? One is the diminishing rights and voices of minority groups, especially Māori, Pasifika and the rainbow community. Things like the treaty principles bill and the gender definition bill and same-sex bathroom stuff. Look at the recent comments by Winston Peters about Lawrence Xu-Nan, with Christopher Luxon even acknowledging that it’s racist, but not doing anything about it.

I’m a big believer in workers’ rights. I’m one of the national co-conveners of the Public Service Association’s youth network, and seeing Brooke van Velden’s legacy project to dismantle workplace health and safety rights is atrocious, especially when it’s for the sake of cost cutting and so-called efficiency. It’s really painful to watch friends, especially in the public service, going through some of the worst working conditions they’ve ever experienced because of this government.

The most important thing for me is that rangatahi get to grow up and live in an Aotearoa where they can thrive without fear of hate or worry about the costs of healthcare or education, with the confidence that things are always going to get better. Right now, you’re not getting that confidence with this government. We’ve seen how low the enrolment and voting rates are for young people, and the youth mental health statistics. It’s heartbreaking to know that people are tuning out and shutting down and not able to live their best lives. 

What’s one Labour policy that you think they need to work on? I really like the Medicard idea and the three free GP visits and the rest of the benefits that come with that. I’m always optimistic that we can grow that out to include free dental. It’s a bit disappointing that it’s not there now, but there’s hope for the future.

Do you discuss politics with your family and friends? Definitely with my friends. I’ve always been involved in politics, and that’s where most of my friendships have come from. It’s talking about things like policy announcements, and who doesn’t love a bit of political gossip? It’s nice to talk about it frankly with somebody you trust. It’s slightly different with my whānau, who aren’t very politically involved. They’ve definitely gotten better over the years with me hassling them. They trust my opinion as well, which I really appreciate. 

Describe New Zealand right now in three words: On the edge. 

If you had to get the face of one politician (past or present) tattooed onto your body, who would it be? There’s the stereotypical Labour Party answer of Michael Joseph Savage, but I’m not sure. Ultimately, I probably wouldn’t get anybody’s face tattooed on me, let alone a politician.

Will you vote on election day or before? Before. I’m a firm believer that you never know what’s going to happen. You might fall sick on election day or break a bone, so it’s really important to me that people go and vote as soon as they’re able to – especially with the government changes to the enrolment dates. 

What will you do on election night? I’m still conflicted on where I’m going to be. Regardless, I’m going to be celebrating a win locally for the candidates, as well as a change of government.

– As told to Tara Ward