Kāpiti Coast residents have been experimenting with a fresh way to connect with local candidates this election, as Paekākāriki–Raumati ward contender Zelda Edwards introduces Parker, a new digital tool for community conversations.
While most campaigns focus on pushing messages out, Ms Edwards says her approach has been to invite people in. Using Parker, she opened up real two-way conversations so voters could share what matters most to them.
“For too long, council decisions have leaned on the same narrow set of voices,” says Edwards. “With Parker, I can hear from people who care deeply about our community but don’t usually get heard.”
Early results show residents held extended, multi-turn conversations on emotionally charged topics – proof that people are hungry for dialogue, not soundbites. Parker acted as a listening amplifier, giving residents time and emotional safety to unpack layered concerns like Māori representation or rates.
“People don’t just want answers. They want to be in the conversation. Parker gives them that space,” says Ms Edwards.
Instead of relying on flyers, town halls, or rushed chats at the market, Parker allows locals to ask direct questions about Zelda’s campaign and receive clear, tailored responses. It helps them explore local impacts of issues such as climate resilience, public transport, or biodiversity at their own pace and in their own words. It can even walk voters through how the STV (single transferable vote) system works and how to make their vote count strategically.
Ms Edwards says the approach is about bringing democracy closer to home.
“With Parker, we can safely include younger voices, people with accessibility needs, and those who don’t have the time or resources to attend in person. At a time when online platforms are becoming polarised, this is a practical way to strengthen democracy right here on the Coast.”
Ms Edwards says analysis of initial conversations found that: Rates discussions reflected economic stress and distrust of council spending transparency; Māori wards surfaced tensions around identity and fairness – evidence of a cultural conversation still unfolding; and Housing conversations highlighted affordability and belonging as key local concerns.
“The hardest conversations are often where healing and clarity are needed,” says Ms Edwards. “The conversations people are having with Parker show that addressing these issues requires empathy first, facts second.”
A Community Experiment
Parker co-founder Nick Gerritsen describes the initiative as “a simple democracy experiment.”
“No money is changing hands. The goal is to give candidates richer, more diverse feedback while giving communities a tool that makes engagement transparent and meaningful. This sets a new bar for politics where conversations are unboring, reciprocal, and genuinely inclusive.”
Ms Edwards believes the Kāpiti Coast is the perfect place to lead this shift.
“Three years is too long to wait between elections for citizen input. Parker makes continuous engagement possible, and that’s the kind of politics I want to see here.”
For more see: https://zeldaedwards.nz/
The link to use Parker is bit.ly/ZeldaforKāpiti