Meka Whaitiri grabbed the votes needed to win the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election on Saturday night but will barely have a day off before beginning work to defend the Maori seat for Labour ahead of the 2014 general election.
Toppling the National Government heads the list of priorities over the next 12 months for Hawke's Bay woman Meka Whaitiri as she begins work as the region's newest Member of Parliament tomorrow.
Ms Whaitiri was elected the Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP, with a majority of 1761 votes, in the by-election for the Maori electorate on Saturday night. She retained the seat for the Labour Party, which became vacant when incumbent Parekura Horomia died in April.
Her three nearest challengers were Mana Party's Te Hamua Nikora, Gisborne (2607), then Maori Party's Na Raihania, Bridge Pa (2104) and Green Party's Marama Davidson, Ruatoria (1188).
Ms Whaitiri was one of just four women who had been voted into office as an electorate MP for a seat which crossed the Hawke's Bay region.
She lives in Whakatu but was at her family marae, Te Pohio o Epiha, Manutuke, in Gisborne on election night.
She plans to officially stand down as chief executive of Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated and will meet with the Labour caucus in Wellington tomorrow to begin planning her defence of the seat at next year's general election.
"The first thing we have to do is change the Government and over the next 12 months I will be working hard to encourage more people to vote, so we can make that change, get into government and do things."
Figures from the Electoral Commission showed 35.8 per cent of 33,937 people enrolled voted in the by-election. Some of the top polling places, in terms of votes cast, included Kati School in Gisborne, 345; Wairoa College, 376; Ruatoria, 171 and Flaxmere Primary School, 209.
"The message I have put out there is that if you don't vote, you're keeping this government in and I plan to drive that campaign really hard over the next few months, leading into the general election, keeping it factual and encouraging people to vote."
Pursuing employment opportunities for the people in the large Maori electorate, which spans the East Cape, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Hutt Valley, would also be at the top of her list.
"I believe that the potential of the iwi Maori economy has not yet been realised. If it's one thing I've learned during this campaign is that people are desperate for jobs and you can see by the way people voted, that's something that hasn't been addressed by the current government."
Ms Whaitiri said her background in employment and iwi economic development gave her confidence Maori business could lead the country. Many Treaty settlements were coming to fruition and Maori trusts were looking for business and economic ventures to invest in, which could translate into more jobs for people.
"I think we will see a shift in this country where Maori business will be prominent and I just want to help unleash that potential."
Mr Horomia held significant mana among Ikaroa-Rawhiti people and while Labour had built on it for the by-election, Ms Whaitiri realised it was time to talk and show what she was going to achieve for the Maori seat. She planned to hold Labour to task over promises it backed during the by-election, revolving around employment, jobs, housing and career paths for young people.
She said the difference between her and the other candidates came down to the electorate's strong link with Labour, support from an army of party volunteers, and help from her whanau.
She told Hawke's Bay Today, however, that she had found dealing with the media particularly challenging during the campaign and would continue to take advice on how to improve from senior Labour party members leading into next year's general election.
"With Maori audiences, they want to hear from you, about you, your story in a much wider context, whereas mainstream media, it's just boom, straight to the point.
"I had issues around how some of the television interviews were cut, or edited, but it's just something I don't have a lot of control over. I am just learning on the job really and will continue to do more interviews to get better at it.
"I know Parekura got quite a personal approach, he treated all people with respect, whether it was a friend or someone from the media. Everyone deserves respect and that is what I will try to do, to speak from the heart."
Ms Whaitiri said she planned to make contact with all of the other candidates. She thought the future of the Maori Party looked bleak while there were opportunities to work with Green Party candidate Marama Davison, who received more than 11 per cent of the by-election vote, improving on the Greens' 9.36 per cent in 2011 and 5.55 per cent in 2005.
"The Maori Party has said if you're not in government, you can't get the results for the people. But none of the things they have done have trickled down through to the people. Ikaroa-Rawhiti clearly needs jobs, there have been no jobs.
"I don't want to put down another Maori party but I think the results of this by-election speak for themselves."
Labour leader David Shearer was among other party leaders with Ms Whaitiri and her family on Saturday night.
"It has just been such a whirlwind experience over these past few weeks. I am relieved at the result, excited and sad, every emotion. I want to thank the other candidates, as well as the massive number of volunteers who came from all corners of the country to help with this campaign."
Labour party campaign officials gave Ms Whaitiri the morning of the election day off and it was spent with her most loyal supporters, her parents Wi Rangi and Mei, watching her son play rugby for Lindisfarne College in Hastings. Ms Whaitiri always presented herself professionally during the campaign but her brief time off on Saturday morning warranted a more casual look, donning gumboots and track pants, suitable attire for watching a rugby game on a crisp Hawke's Bay morning. She said while the campaign had been exhausting, she had been successful managing her time, learning when to take breaks to recharge the batteries.
Her replacement at Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated could be one or two people she had been grooming for the job, although no names were mentioned. "When I leave the iwi office it will be sad but I will also be pleased that there may be someone who can take over, I am confident there are good people there."
Voting Results