[2][7] Ted McAnulty, Kieran's great-grandfather, ("the only Labour-voting cockie in Eketāhuna"[8]) was the campaign manager for a Labour candidate running against Prime Minister Keith Holyoake in the Pahiatua electorate, at that time a safe National seat.

[6] On 25 September 2019, McAnulty was ejected from Parliament by the Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard for making disparaging remarks about National Party leader Simon Bridges during a Parliamentary debate about Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's meeting with US President Donald Trump.

In his maiden speech, he described how it is missing a back door;[6] later, it was reported "the radio sometimes falls out and the heater doesn’t work" and the ute, which had not been able to drive faster than "110kmh in a decade" and had gone further than 463,000 kilometers.

[3][22][23] In the 2020 New Zealand general election, McAnulty contested the Wairarapa electorate for Labour, winning by a margin of 6,545 votes over new candidate Mike Butterick.

Sharma accused McAnulty of "gaslighting me, shouting at me, degrading me in front of caucus members and other attendees at events and telling me that I was a terrible MP".

[33] In January 2023, McAnulty claimed he was advised by parliamentary security to stop advertising the availability of his mobile office in his electorate because of death threats against him.

[35] New prime minister Chris Hipkins also confirmed that the Three Waters reform programme (which falls under the Local Government portfolio) would continue.

McAnulty also defended the programme's co-governance element, stating that Māori people have a special interest in water that has been established by the Treaty of Waitangi and the court system.

"[44] Newsroom reported that McAnulty received praise "for 'cutting to the chase' and explaining in simple terms that the reforms are first and foremost about cost savings.

"[45] He received the report of the Future for Local Government review established by his predecessor, but declined to commit to its recommendations before the 2023 general election.

[49] After the election, he was promoted to seventh in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins and became the party's spokesperson for housing, regional development and local government.

[51] In June 2024, The Post reported that McAnulty was claiming a NZ$36,400 annual housing allowance to rent a Lower Hutt flat from his wife.

In addition, McAnulty owned a four-bedroom, NZ$655,000 home in Masterton, which is about one hour and 40 minute drive away from Wellington.

And as long as we have a structure in place that allows people to pursue their own personal beliefs, then how dare they impose their views on others?