Labour’s newly selected candidate for Wigram, Dominik Yanzic, says he is energised by strong early support as he begins campaigning across the electorate.

Yanzic, who announced his candidacy over the weekend, told chrislynchmedia.com he was “very exciting” and ready to get to work.

He said he did not enter the Labour Party with the intention of becoming an MP, but was encouraged by outgoing Wigram MP Megan Woods.

“I was encouraged by Megan to put my name forward after discussing with my partner. She and I sort of discussed it, went through it. But for me it was just seeing what is happening and I just wanted to stand up for my values and to work for something that was important to me and make a change there,” he said.

Yanzic lives in Spreydon with his partner and their dog Nessie. He works in IT project management and enterprise architecture, following earlier roles in wool manufacturing at a Lincoln based plant where he worked on keratin extraction.

He said he has always maintained a strong connection to rural life, having grown up in rural North Otago.

“I have had real jobs. All through school I was either working in dairy farms or sheep stations. Up here in Christchurch I was in construction or landscape gardening before going into manufacturing and then now IT,” he said.

Yanzic has already begun door knocking in Prebbleton, which is now part of the new Wigram electorate following boundary changes.

“It was really encouraging. It was great going out talking to people about issues that matter most to them and introducing myself as a Labour candidate. Labour is going to have a presence in Prebbleton and it is part of the Wigram electorate now,” he said.

While the boundary changes tilt parts of the electorate toward areas with historically stronger National Party support, Yanzic said Wigram has never been a certainty for Labour.

“Wigram has never been given to us. Through Megan and Jim (Anderton), they always had to work for Wigram.

“It has never been a seat that was just given to them. They always had to work and I will continue that on. We will be out there door knocking and talking to locals and going through their issues and figuring out what that is,” he said.

Yanzic said Woods has given him straightforward advice.

“It is probably the advice most candidates get. It is the true and tested way of winning elections and that is just getting out there and door knocking. It is your most potent weapon.”

He said Labour’s ground campaign in Christchurch remains effective because it is based on community contact rather than simply advertising.

“Billboards are great and they look good, but they are just the stuff on the margins. The door knocking and talking to people and going to community events is the main sort of meat of it,” he said.

Asked about the biggest issues facing residents, Yanzic said one challenge dominates.

“It will be the cost of living. Talking to people through Hornby after I got the nomination, it is still the cost of living as their biggest issue followed by health and homes,” he said.

Yanzic said he will continue meeting voters across the electorate in the weeks ahead.