Leighton Baker
2nd Leader of New Conservative
In office
24 January 2017 – 19 November 2020
DeputyElliot Ikilei
Preceded byColin Craig
Succeeded byElliot Ikilei
Personal details
Born1966 or 1967 (age 56–57)[1][2]
Lower Hutt area, Wellington, New Zealand
Political partyLeighton Baker Party (2023–present)
Other political
affiliations		New Conservative (2011–2020)
Kiwi Party (2008)
SpouseSue Baker
Children4
OccupationBusinessman and politician
Websiteleightonbakerparty.co.nz

Leighton James Baker is a New Zealand political candidate and businessman. He was leader of the New Conservative Party from 2017 to 2020, and has contested every general election since 2008, initially for the Kiwi Party, without success.

Baker joined the Conservative Party in 2011, shortly after its founding. He led the party through the 2017 and 2020 general elections, in which the party received 0.2% and 1.5% of the party vote. The party replaced him as its leader shortly after the 2020 election, and according to the party he left it around November 2020.

Baker participated in the 2022 Wellington protests, and was arrested on 2 March 2022 on charges of trespassing and obstruction. In June 2023, Baker formed the Leighton Baker Party. The party received 0.09% of the party vote in the 2023 election.

Political career

Baker stood for the Kiwi Party in the 2008 general election,[3] the only election it contested. Like many other Kiwi Party members, he joined the Conservative Party after it was founded in 2011. He stood for it in the 2011[4] and subsequent elections.

Baker was on the board of the Conservative Party until he resigned from it in March 2015, with then-leader and founder Colin Craig saying that Baker did not want the commitment of board meetings.[5] Craig resigned from the party in June 2015, and all but one of the board members resigned that same month, with the last remaining one resigning in July 2015. By mid-November 2015, Baker had been elected by the party to be the party board chair,[6] though some media reports referred to him as the party spokesman.[7][8] The board ran the party in place of a single leader from after Craig's resignation until 24 January 2017, when it announced Baker was the new party leader.[9][10]

2017 general election

When the University of Auckland Debating Society organised a cross-party debate in March 2017, more parties than expected accepted the invitation and the society decided to limit it to parties that had been in Parliament, and they withdrew the invitation to the Conservatives. Baker stated that, despite thinking the move was unfair, he would not follow Colin Craig's footsteps by taking the matter to court.[11]

Baker contested the Epsom electorate in the 2017 New Zealand general election held on 23 September.[12] The Conservatives' share of the party vote fell to 0.2% (6,253) in the election, below the five percent margin needed to enter Parliament.[13] Baker came sixth in the Epsom race with 0.6% of the vote, the seat being won by the incumbent David Seymour, the leader of the ACT Party.[14]

Following the 2017 election, Baker remained leader, with the Conservatives rebranding themselves as the New Conservative Party at their annual general meeting in November 2017.[15]

2020 general election

In early October 2020, Baker unsuccessfully challenged public broadcaster TVNZ's decision to exclude the New Conservatives from the TVNZ Minor Parties' election debate.[16][17]

Baker contested Waimakariri in the 2020 New Zealand general election held on 17 October, coming third place with 2,057 votes.[18] His party received 1.5% of the party vote.[19] Following the election, the New Conservative party board decided to replace him as leader with his deputy, Elliot Ikilei. Baker told The Spinoff that he was "obviously disappointed," and that he would spend some time considering whether to remain involved with the party.[20] According to the New Conservative Party, Baker had left the party around November 2020 and “currently has no association nor ever likely to be”.[21]

2023 general election

Leighton Baker Party logo

In June 2023, Baker formed a new party named the Leighton Baker Party.[22] The Electoral Commission registered the party on 16 August.[23] Three 1 News polls since the party's registration and the end of September, found support for the Leighton Baker Party to be between zero and 0.1%.[24] In the election, the Leighton Baker Party received 0.07% of the party vote, and Baker himself came fourth in the Waimakariri electorate with 3.9% of the electorate vote.[25][26]

Following the preliminary results, Baker stated "maybe there's not that many people that agree with us, but we still have an obligation to present a different view."[27]

Electoral history

Baker has contested electorates seven times, all unsuccessfully. He has also never entered Parliament as a list MP; his best party vote result was in 2020 with the New Conservative Party who received 3.97% of the party vote,[28] short of the 5% threshold.

Year Electorate Party % of vote Position Notes
2008 Waimakariri Kiwi Party 1.4% 6th [3]
2011 Christchurch East Conservative 1.9% 4th [29]
2013 Christchurch East Conservative 3.6% 4th A by-election.[30]
2014 Christchurch East Conservative 4.0% 4th [31]
2017 Epsom New Conservative 0.6% 6th (last) [14]
2020 Waimakariri New Conservative 4.4% 3rd This was Baker's best result to date.[18]
2023 Waimakariri Leighton Baker 3.9% 4th Preliminary results[32]

Political views

Baker, a conservative Christian, is known for his support of family values, and scepticism about the "social experiment" policies of a series of left-of-centre governing coalitions.[33] According to Bob McCoskrie of Family First New Zealand, Baker and his party are "opposed to redefining marriage. They're opposed to decriminalisation of abortion, marijuana and euthanasia. They're opposed to the anti-smacking law, gender theory and prostitution. What I can surmise from that is the Conservative Party agrees with everything Family First says."[33]

2022 Wellington protests

Baker and his daughter Chantelle Baker took part in the 2022 Wellington protests against vaccine mandates. A 16 February article noted that he had attended the protest every day.[34] He sometimes acted as a liaison between the police and the protesters.[35] During the protests, his daughter promoted conspiracies online, including that the vaccine could make a person "magnetic", and that fires started by protesters were started by police and by instigators working for the police.[34][36][37] He was arrested during the riotous climax of the protest on 2 March, charged with trespassing and obstruction. He was released on bail under the condition that he neither breach nor encourage anyone else to breach COVID-19 health orders.[35]

In late September 2022, the Police withdrew their charges of trespassing and resisting police against Baker. Baker welcomed the Police's decision to drop all charges against him, describing the charge of resisting police as "bizarre."[38]

Personal life and professional career

Baker was born in Lower Hutt in 1966 or 1967.[9] He attended a private school in Auckland and moved to North Canterbury in the early 1990s.[39] He has worked on a stud sheep farm in Dargaville, and as a builder, and now runs a residential and commercial building companies.[10] Baker is the owner of Concise Construction, a Rangiora-based firm that has been involved in reconstruction following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.[33][39] Baker and his wife, Sue, and have four grown children.[33]

Baker's daughter Chantelle Baker is a social media influencer who has promoted anti-vaccine, disinformation, and conspiracy theories. She and Baker participated in the 2022 Wellington protest.[34][40]

References

  1. ↑ "Compare the candidates for Waimakariri — NZ Election 2020". Your complete guide to NZ Election 2020 — Policy.
  2. ↑ "Compare the candidates for Waimakariri - NZ Election 2020". Policy.nz. The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Official Count Results – Waimakariri". www.electionresults.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "Conservative Party List 2011". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  5. ↑ Vance, Andrea (4 March 2015). "Colin Craig: Conservative Party doing fine". Stuff. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  6. ↑ Kirk, Stacey (16 November 2015). "Colin Craig not seeking re-election as Conservative Party leader". Stuff. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  7. ↑ Sachdeva, Sam (19 January 2016). "Colin Craig donates $36,000 to Conservative Party after resigning as leader". Stuff. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Sachdeva, Sam (4 October 2016). "Colin Craig: Where did he come from, and where will he go next?". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  9. 1 2 "New Leader for the Conservative Party". Conservative Party. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Leighton Baker appointed as new Conservative Party leader". Newshub. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  11. ↑ Davison, Isaac (5 March 2017). "The Conservative Party says exclusion from political debate 'unfair'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  12. ↑ Matthews, Philip (18 August 2017). "Life after Colin: Does the Conservative Party have a chance in 2017?". Stuff. Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "2017 General Election – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Epsom - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  15. ↑ "Conservative Party to Get New Name". Scoop.co.nz. 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  16. ↑ Smith, Anneke (7 October 2020). "New Conservatives fail in bid to feature in TVNZ debate". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  17. ↑ Hurley, Sam (7 October 2020). "Election 2020: New Conservative fails in High Court to argue for TVNZ debate inclusion". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Waimakariri - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  19. ↑ "2020 General Election and Referendums - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  20. ↑ Braae, Alex (19 November 2020). "Coup Conservatives? Leader ousted to make way for 'outspoken' Elliot Ikilei". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  21. ↑ Manhire, Toby (21 March 2022). "The people vying to build a political force out of the parliament occupation fury". The Spinoff. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  22. ↑ Roberts, Nadine (7 June 2023). "Freedom movement splintering amid infighting and the formation of new political party". Stuff.
  23. ↑ "Two parties approved for registration". Elections. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  24. ↑ Verian (27 September 2023). "1News Verian Poll Report Short Version September 23-26". Scribd. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  25. ↑ "2023 General Election - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  26. ↑ "Waimakariri - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  27. ↑ "Liz Gunn cries, Brian Tamaki rages at 'gutless Kiwis' after losses". Newshub. 15 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  28. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Overall Status". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  29. ↑ Commission, New Zealand Electoral. "Official Count Results – Christchurch East". www.electionresults.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  30. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Christchurch East". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  31. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Christchurch East". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  32. ↑ Stuff. "Election 2023: Final results". interactives.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  33. 1 2 3 4 Matthews, Philip (19 August 2017). "Life after Colin: Does the Conservative Party have a chance in 2017?". Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  34. 1 2 3 McConnell, Glenn (16 February 2022). "Who is who at the Convoy 2022 occupation of Parliament's grounds". Stuff. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  35. 1 2 "Leighton Baker charged with trespassing, obstruction at protest". 1 News. TVNZ. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022.
  36. ↑ Sowman-Lund, Stewart (3 March 2022). "Leighton Baker among those arrested after parliament riot, says daughter". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  37. ↑ Reeve, Dylan (3 March 2022). "When misinformation spreads like fire". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  38. ↑ Nightingale, Melissa (27 September 2022). "Leighton Baker's charges withdrawn after Parliament protest". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  39. 1 2 "Chch East candidate: Leighton Baker". The Press. 16 November 2013. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  40. ↑ "'Super spreader' of false claims banned from Facebook". Otago Daily Times. Allied Press. 21 August 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
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