Angela Warren-Clark flew to Wellington today as her career as a new Labour list MP begins in earnest.
Mrs Warren-Clark said she spent most of the day tidying up her desk at Tauranga Women's Refuge and grabbed the chance to buy a few groceries for her husband Blair and their family pets.
She expected to be in Wellington for two to three days. She would attend a new MPs' induction course on Tuesday followed by a Labour caucus meeting.
Mrs Warren-Clark said she might have to stay longer depending on the outcome of NZ First leader Winston Peters' coalition talks with Labour and the National Party.
"We [the Labour Party] have gone from zero representatives in the Bay of Plenty to having three MPs, including Tamati Coffey, who won the Waiariki seat. That's a fabulous result.
"It was something we all hoped for, and it will definitely make a big difference to have three strong voices advocating for our city and region in Parliament," she said.
Final Election Results
Tauranga electorate Candidates Party votes Simon Bridges: 21,499 National: 21,182 Jan Tinetti: 10,247 Labour: 10,737 Clayton Mitchell: 4829 NZ First: 4523 Emma Hodges: 1935 Greens: 1562 Joseph Borrell: 267 Maori Party: 211 Stuart Pedersen : 205 Act NZ: 242 Ben Rickard: 64 United Future: 40 Rusty Kane: 72 Independent Yvette Lamare: 50 Independent Hugh E Robb: 49 Independent Jason Jobsis: 33 Democrats for Social Credit: 14
Bay of Plenty electorate Candidates Party votes Todd Muller : 25, 352 National: 23,164 Angela Warren-Clark: 11,356 Labour: 10,817 Lester Gray: 4056 NZ First: 4568 Raewyn Bennett: 563 Maori Party: 214 Bruce Carley: 195 Act NZ: 206
Waiariki electorate seat: Candidates Tamati Coffey: 12,362 Labour Party : 14,144 Te Ururoa Flavell: 10,643 Maori Party: 4730 Act NZ: 19 Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party: 168 Ban1080: 64 Conservative: 15 Democrats for Social Credit: 6