Māori electorate Ikaroa-Rāwhiti has stuck with red, and elected Labour newcomer Cushla Tangaere-Manuel to represent them in Wellington.
Tangaere-Manuel secured a preliminary margin of 2,860 votes over her predecessor, Meka Whaitiri of Te Pati Māori [TPM].
As of Monday, the preliminary votes counted showed 10,804 for Tangaere-Manuel and 7,944 votes for Whaitiri. The count also recorded 636 votes for Vision NZ candidate Ata Tuhakaraina.
Whaitiri had held the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat for almost a decade under Labour before leaving Labour and becoming an independent MP in May this year.
Crossing the floor, which was viewed as polarising among many Māori, meant that Whaitiri was always going to have an uphill battle contesting the seat which stretches from Gisborne to Upper Hutt.
In Māori culture, there is a strong belief in taking your whānau with you wherever you go [literally or metaphorically], and many felt blindsided by Whaitiri’s decision to resign from Labour.
Earlier in her campaign, Whaitiri spoke with Times-Age and said her “wairua [spirit/soul] was crushed” while with the Labour Party and that her time with TPM had given her a reprieve.
Whaitiri confirmed in a statement that she would not be returning to Parliament as a list MP but reiterated that the “movement is bigger than any individual.”
“What the future holds for me is yet to be determined but I appreciate the kind words I have received,” she said.
Incoming Labour MP Tangaere-Manuel travelled to Wellington on Monday but managed to briefly speak with Times-Age.
She said she was ecstatic that all the hard work paid off and that the people of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti had “the confidence in me to elect me as their MP.”
Tangaere-Manuel has committed to travelling the rohe [area] as soon as she can, having made the determination to be a visible MP.
She noted that there may be challenging times ahead as Labour takes its spot in Opposition.
“The challenge may be addressing the concerns of our region in opposition, though I’m committed to serving Ikaroa-Rāwhiti in whatever capacity.”
