Former National deputy leader Paula Bennett is refusing to comment on her meeting with rival party candidate Brooke van Velden. 

The former Upper Harbour MP met with the Act Party deputy leader and Tāmaki candidate at a cafe in Auckland’s St Heliers yesterday, with van Velden commenting “Great to catch up with my friend @paulabennettmp in St Heliers this morning.” 

When approached by the Herald, Bennett declined to comment on the meet-up. 

When asked about the battle for Tāmaki by Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning, Act Party leader David Seymour said he backs Brooke [van Velden]. 

“Paula Bennett is a wily tactician and understands Brooke winning Tāmaki won’t win the overall election result but changing Tāmaki for Act would be for the better, Brooke is vibrant and speaks to the future compared to somebody by and large invisible.” 

His comments follow National deputy leader Nicola Willis criticising her former colleague for meeting with van Velden, saying “it certainly wasn’t helpful” with the National and Act candidates neck-and-neck in recent polls. 

Seymour said for the future of NZ, there needs to be more parties on the right in Government - he said van Velden represents a new concept of voting for lower taxes and personal freedom. 

“It will make a big change for the better in Tāmaki, but it won’t change the overall election result.” 

Simon O'Connor has held the Tāmaki electorate since 2011. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

The Act Party deputy leader is looking to unseat current National Party incumbent Simon O’Connor in the traditionally safe blue seat he has held since 2011. 

The results of a recent Taxpayers Union-Curia poll point to a very tight race, with O’Connor on 35 per cent and van Velden on 33 per cent. 

Excluding undecided voters, van Velden has taken support for Act in the electorate up 30 percentage points since the 2020 election. 

Of those who voted for O’Connor at the last election, 50 per cent said they would vote for him again. Forty-three per cent, however, said they would flip to van Velden. 

On the campaign trail, two voters who had “always voted National” told the Herald they thought O’Connor hadn’t been visible as their Member of Parliament. 

“If it wasn’t for Brooke standing, we would have blindly gone for the invisible man,” Tāmaki voter Margaret said, a reference to O’Connor. 

“That’s his nickname now.”