Chris Bishop stays upbeat as he faces a nail-biting fight to keep his seat

Chris Bishop says he remains hopeful about his political future, even if he fails to hold Hutt South in the election. With the contest against Labour’s Ginny Andersen expected to be close, the National candidate said he was unsure whether losing the electorate would mean leaving Parliament. “I think the momentum is with us,” Bishop told Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW. He said he expected National to get a good election-night result, while acknowledging that both the Hutt South race and the national outcome looked tight. Bishop described the election as unlike any he had experienced, pointing to the many possible outcomes involving overhangs and the fate of the Opportunity Party. He also questioned whether Opportunity would reach the five per cent threshold, arguing that it was drawing on voter dissatisfaction without offering a clear political direction. He criticised what he portrayed as the party’s flexible, “vibe-based” approach, saying parties needed more than a broad promise that things should improve. Opportunity had published five bottom-line policies in September, although its Universal Basic Income and land-tax proposals were not included among them, the report noted. The interview came during the final week of campaigning, as parties made their closing appeals before voting ended on Saturday. More than one million people had already voted, representing over a quarter of enrolled voters, according to the article. Bishop’s comments underline the uncertainty facing candidates as the final days of the campaign unfold.