New Zealand First’s Taranaki-King Country candidate Lee Smith has spoken about her background in farming, business and community advocacy, outlining the experiences that led her to enter national politics.
Smith appeared in the sixth episode of Penny Marie’s People in Politics podcast, published on October 3, discussing her personal history, political priorities and reasons for standing at the 2026 general election.
New Zealand First announced Smith as its Taranaki-King Country candidate in June. The party describes her as a former dairy farmer with more than 20 years of experience across business management, retail leadership and community engagement. She has also been involved with rural advocacy group Groundswell New Zealand.
Smith, a mother of six and grandmother operates a small business. She also discussed experiencing serious financial hardship during the Global Financial Crisis, saying her family lost its home and she was forced to rebuild her life while in her 40s.
Smith said those experiences helped shape her approach to politics and her understanding of the financial pressures facing families and businesses.
Her involvement in public advocacy included helping organise Groundswell protests in Otorohanga, where farmers and supporters used tractors and other vehicles to demonstrate against government regulations affecting the rural sector.
Smith also discussed her advocacy concerning education and parental involvement in decisions about material taught in schools. In the interview, she described efforts to have material she considered inappropriate for particular age groups removed from school curricula.
Economic policy was another focus of the discussion. Drawing on her experience as a small business owner, Smith spoke about taxation and operating costs and argued for greater scrutiny of government expenditure.
She characterised her political approach as one based on “common sense”, practical decision-making and greater accountability in government.
Restoring public confidence in politicians was another theme of the interview, with Smith arguing that representatives should communicate directly with communities and remain accessible to the people they represent.
Smith also quoted the maxim commonly attributed to the ancient Athenian statesman Pericles: “Just because you don’t take an interest in politics doesn’t mean it won’t take an interest in you.”
The interview forms part of Penny Marie’s People in Politics podcast series, which presents interviews with political candidates about their backgrounds, party priorities and areas of particular interest ahead of the election.
