Meka Whaitiri retains Ikaroa Rāwhiti for Labour

By Thomas Airey

Hawkes Bay Today·

16 Oct, 2020 11:00 PM2 mins to read

Meka Whaitiri and Labour won big in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate. Photo / File

Labour MP Meka Whaitiri has retained the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat she has held since 2013 but the electorate looks set to gain a list MP in Green Party candidate Dr Elizabeth Kerekere.

As of 10:24 pm with 89.7 per cent of the vote counted, Whaitiri was on 10202 votes, 4902 ahead of the Māori Party's Heather Te Au-Skipworth.

The result saw Whaitiri improve on the 2017 election when she won the seat by a majority of 4210 votes over the Māori Party's Marama Fox.

The Labour party also picked up a massive 67.4 per cent of the party vote in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.

The Māori Party collected 11.4 per cent.

Overall, the Green party's share of the national party vote means Kerekere, who finished third in the electorate race with 1460 votes, looks set to make it to Parliament as a list MP.

Kerekere sits ninth on the party's list for the Greens, who look to have earned 10 seats after taking 7.6 per cent of the overall party vote.

Dr. Elizabeth Kerekere is on her way to Parliament as a list MP. Photo / Supplied.

Kerekere said she had campaigned on being a "plus-one" to whomever of Whaitiri and Te-Au Skipworth won the electorate seat.

"It's been a great night," she said.

"During my campaign I came and met with local iwi in the Hawke's Bay and attended different events, and I intend to keep up that relationship with region."

Kerekere said having two candidates from Ikaroa-Rāwhiti in Parliament could only be a good thing for Māori in the region.

Te Au-Skipworth said this election was always going to be about the rebuilding of the Maori party.