Election 2023: Brian Tamaki's 'umbrella party' believes they could get 20 percent of vote

Brian Tamaki is running for Parliament. 

The Destiny Church leader has formed an umbrella party called Freedoms New Zealand. He'll be number one on the list while anti-vax lawyer Sue Grey is second.

Their parties have also linked up with the New Nation Party and together they said they can persuade 20 percent of the electorate to vote for them.

Brian Tamaki wants to move from the pulpit to Parliament

"I will be standing to go to Parliament and I'm standing today as the leader of the umbrella party," Tamaki said.

It's made up of Vision New Zealand, led by his wife Hannah at the last election, a new party called the New Nation Party, opposed to vaccine mandates, Three Waters and the United Nations, and the Outdoors and Freedom Party led by lawyer Sue Grey.

"I'm excited that me and you are going to rip it up - fire and ice," Tamaki said.

Two unregistered parties, Yes Aotearoa and Rock the Vote have also joined the coalition.

"They call us names but actually we're the outliers, we're the ones who see it first," Grey said.

Grey's under investigation by the Law Society and Tamaki faces trial for breaking COVID-19 lockdowns and violating bail conditions. He believes the backlog will delay the trial till next year.

"But if they do, well it's 14 days of focus again from the media on this party so I say, either way, it's a win-win situation," Tamaki said.

But it'll take more than that. 

The problem for these parties is that together they only garnered far less than 1 percent of the vote in the 2020 election. Somehow they've got to find over 150,000 fresh votes to get over the 5 percent line in 2023.

Together they claimed just over 7000 votes at the last election.

"That was then this is now," Grey said.

"We believe we're going to do even better than 5 percent. I'm looking at 20 percent maybe," Tamaki said.

"The seeds of this party were sewn when the Government decided to impose its will on the people of New Zealand," Grey said.

Flagship policies include pulling out of bodies like the UN and WHO, no more 'school indoctrination' and no tax on the first $25,000 you earn. There's also cash for mandated workers and compensation for those they say are vaccine injured.

Each party will retain its status under the umbrella and they'll be able to stand candidates in electorate seats.