Alliance Party Announces Eight Further South Island Candidates For 2026 General Election

The Alliance Party has today unveiled another eight candidates for the South Island to contest the 2026 General Election.

With seven of the candidates based in the Greater Christchurch area, the party is signalling a major campaign focus on the city.

The candidates bring together a diverse range of experience in a range of fields, including health, media, environment, education, maritime industry and logistics.

Alliance Party Leader Victor Billot says this reflects the party’s commitment to providing a genuine democratic socialist alternative for New Zealanders.

“Our candidates are people who live and work in the real world, they are labourers, students, and professionals who understand the crushing weight of the cost-of-living crisis, and the urgent need to change the Government and our direction as a nation.”

“Christchurch has an important history for the Alliance, and many voters will remember the role the Alliance played in restoring principled politics in New Zealand,” he says.

The Alliance Party platform for 2026 includes a state-led infrastructure and public housing program, free healthcare and education, and a progressive tax system.

The new candidates are:

Greg Byrnes: Christchurch Central

Courtney Fraser: Ilam

Nicolas Pegg: Wigram

Jesse Luke: Selwyn

Kyle Turnbull: Banks Peninsula

Louis Coup: West Coast–Tasman

Ali McDougall: Waimakariri

Ethan Gullery: Christchurch East

Two Otago candidates were announced last week, party leader Victor Billot for the Dunedin electorate, and Anna Knight for the Taieri electorate.

Candidate Biographies

Greg Byrnes (Candidate for Christchurch Central) 

Greg is a professional environmentalist and former Environment Canterbury Regional Councillor. He was born in Christchurch in 1960, where he also started his career as a horticulturalist, and is a father to three and grandfather to one. With substantial experience in environmental co-management, charitable and other non-governmental organisations, and the public service, Greg is motivated to improve the environmental and economic situation for working class families into the future.

Courtney Fraser (Candidate for Ilam) 

Courtney is a full time law student and worker who understands firsthand the financial pressures facing everyday New Zealanders. Currently working more than 20 hours a week while pursuing her degree, Courtney is well-aware of the challenges for young people with high living costs during full-time study.

Courtney brings a decade of professional experience to her candidacy, including a six-year tenure at Steel & Tube. After starting as a Dispatcher, she rose through the ranks to become a Continuous Improvement Specialist, Project Manager, and eventually a Group Sustainability Manager. Courtney has a commitment to ensuring that all New Zealanders – whether they are high school leavers or those retraining later in life – have the right to a life of dignity and the resources to fully participate in society.

Nicolas Pegg (Candidate for Wigram) 

Nicolas has been a keen advocate for a significant Public Housing building programme over the last ten years. He has an extensive background in media production including as host of Plains FM Mornings, co-host of the award-winning Radio Picnic magazine programme and Producer/host of ‘After Dark’ where he interviewed most of the candidates in the 2019 local elections.

Nicolas has volunteered for the Sumner Lifeboat League as Chair of Publicity and on the Sumner Lifeboat Management Committee. He is honoured to be selected as candidate for Wigram electorate with its long association with the Alliance Party. Nicolas has been appointed Spokesperson for Housing.

Kyle Turnbull (Candidate for Banks Peninsula) 

Kyle is a long-term local resident who has lived in Christchurch for 30 years and currently lives within the Banks Peninsula electorate. He holds a Master’s Degree in Spatial Analysis for Public Health from the University of Canterbury’s GeoHealth Lab.

Kyle’s career spans both the public and private sectors, where he has worked as a Geospatial Advisor and Urban Mobility Advisor. He currently works as a warehouse manager and has previous experience in the service industries of New York City and Toronto. His key priorities include integrated transport, public infrastructure, health and wellbeing, and conservation. Kyle is committed to representing the people of Banks Peninsula. He is Alliance spokesperson for Transport.

Louis Coup (Candidate for West Coast–Tasman)

Louis Coup has a background in the maritime and aquaculture industries and has been actively involved in political organising, with a focus on engaging younger people and strengthening grassroots participation.

Born and raised in Tasman, with a strong connection to the Coast and Buller, Louis is committed to building a fairer, more resilient region. His political priorities include housing, support for rural communities, and infrastructure development.

Ali McDougall (Candidate for Waimakariri) 

Born in Auckland in 1978, Alison McDougall moved to Canterbury in 2011 after almost ten years on the West Coast. With an extensive career working with communities in the public sector,

Alison has spent most of her professional life serving the common good. Her university education was in social policy and her particular areas of interest are community development, women, and pay equity.

Ethan Gullery (Candidate for Christchurch East) 

Ethan works as an Operational Planning Business Partner for Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora and previously served as a Senior Data Analyst with the Health Quality and Safety Commission – Te Tāhū Hauora.

Born in Christchurch in 1995, he grew up in Burwood, now lives in Linwood, and is an active advocate for his community in the East. Ethan’s political focus includes fixing the health system from the ground up and strengthening local government. He is the Alliance Spokesperson for Health.

Jesse Luke (Candidate for Selwyn) 

Jesse is a labourer and staunch trade unionist working in distribution. Born in Christchurch in 2000, Jesse has lived in Rolleston for the last seven years and taken an interest in local politics and affairs affecting the district. Seeing the Selwyn district grow significantly, Jesse believes there is a desire for change in politics that prioritises adequate infrastructure and public services for working people and their families.

Jesse is a proud socialist and has been involved in various educational and advocacy groups in Canterbury. He is motivated by politics that empowers working people and stands for international solidarity and justice. His political focuses are public transport reform, strengthening unions and workers’ rights, and environmental stewardship.