Andrew was mayor of North Shore City, previously New Zealand's 4th largest city, from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that he was a Takapuna community board member (2004 – 2007) and North Shore city councillor (2001-2004).
He served as a North Shore Hearings Commissioner for nine years and as such has added knowledge of the regulatory side of local government and all that is involved in Resource Management Act consent processes.
Andrew’s business career dates back to 1977 involving international trade, meat exports, shipping and air cargo. This adds the business dimension to skills that he would bring to a parliamentary role.
For nine years from 1998 – 2007 he was the Trade Commissioner for Belgium and Luxembourg based in Auckland, which included extensive consular and diplomatic activities as the Honorary Vice Consul of Belgium. His trade and negotiations experience have been most helpful in a range of political discussions, helping to resolve many situations that need a workable outcome. He was the Founding President of the NZ-Europe Business Council, and continues on various advisory boards involving international connections with the North Shore.
With the advent of the Auckland Council, the North Shore needs a member of parliament to fight for their interests. Someone prepared to be independent and tough. Someone prepared to go to the line for the people. Someone prepared to stand for that quaint old political system called democracy.
Andrew Williams is that individual. A 5th generation proud New Zealander on both his father and mother's side. He has been selected because he knows what has to be done and has long supported many of New Zealand First’s policies and principles. Policies such as free off peak travel for our seniors, getting youth back into work, a dollar-for-dollar payment scheme for student loans, an increased focus on our export economy, and revoking the anti-smacking law.
He is not frightened to offend the people who make decisions based on their own interests and not the people. Andrew was one of the few who stood up to the government demanding they honour their obligation to consult the people over the creation of an Auckland super city. What happened? They sent the dogs after him!
Andrew strongly challenged the government’s 10 per cent inadequate offer on leaky homes and held out for a more proper 25 per cent contribution, which succeeded. As mayor he was instrumental in sorting out the 18 year Pak 'N Save Wairau Road supermarket debacle, stopping the Whenuapai Airport, and clearing the way for the building of the Birkenhead Library and the Albany Senior High School. He committed considerable time and energy to people, issues and projects across the Shore and was known as a mayor who got results.
Andrew is proud to represent New Zealand First as candidate for North Shore, to continue the extensive work he was involved in as its mayor.

Top 5 Issues

1. We’ll have ONE LAW FOR ALL.
   
   Which means:
   
   • We all own our foreshore and seabed
   • We fly one flag
   • We have one court system
   • We follow one set of laws
   • We have one social welfare system
   • A NZ health system
   • A NZ education system
2. We will rebuild our failing economy with
   
   • Export plans to treble returns
   • Savings plans for economic freedom
   • NZ currency for NZ not Wall ST
   • Tax breaks for real wealth creators
   • Real research and development incentives
   • Rewards for the nation’s builders
3. We stand for a fair tax system, where everyone pays a fair share.
   
   So we are going to rewrite and simplify NZ’s mangle of tax laws so that they are understandable, unavoidable, and fair.
   
   Everyone will pay their fair taxes.
   
   That means:
   • Less personal tax
   • Less company tax
   • Less GST at 12.5 not 15%
   • Removing double tax on savings
   • Removing GST on rates
   • Removing secondary tax
4. Exporters create our real wealth. We have a plan to help them.
   
   New Zealand First will keep our currency pegged to that of our main trading partners.
   
   That way the exporters will be able to expand, increase exports and create new jobs, new wealth for the Family New Zealand
   
   We will stop the sale of state owned assets, and the control of our power stations and the lakes and rivers that feed them.
   Will stop the sale of our prime farmland to foreign interests.
5. We need to support our young people to stay, live and work in New Zealand. Here are just some of our policies:
   
   1) More trade training for our young people
   
   2) We will help pay the wages for apprentices using dole money and an employer top up
   
   3) We will help students pay their loans as long as they qualify and stay here
   
   4) And we’ll throw out fictitious national standards in early education opposed by 90% of the teachers

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