Labour’s Kelvin Davis will be a winner on election day - regardless of the result

Minister for children Kelvin Davis will become a koro (grandfather) next week. Photo / Warren Buckland

Labour deputy leader, Kelvin Davis, says becoming a grandfather will be the best win for him on October 14.

The Labour incumbent is expecting his first mokopuna on the weekend of the election and revealed the news during a live Te Tai Tokerau electorate debate on Whakaata Māori.

“For those who don’t know, I’ll be a koro on election day,” he said.

Davis had said before the broadcast that his daughter was due to deliver on the Saturday of the election.

“Wherever she is, that’s where I’ll be. Whatever happens, I’ll be a winner.”

A Whakaata Māori exclusive poll has Davis on 32 per cent as the preferred candidate, with peak support among over-60s. But older voters make up only 22 per cent of the electorate.

Te Pāti Māori candidate Mariameno Kapa-Kingi is six points behind on 26 per cent, with her highest support among under 40s who make up 43 per cent of the electorate. Green Party candidate Hūhana Lyndon is on 7 per cent, while Maki Herbert of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party has 6 per cent support. A total of 14 per cent are undecided.

Labour claimed 35 per cent as the preferred party, followed by Te Pāti Māori on 22 per cent, Greens on 9 per cent, National 8 per cent and Act on 4 per cent. A total of 9 per cent were undecided.

The poll, conducted by Curia Market Research, found that the cost of living was overwhelmingly the biggest issue for Te Tai Tokerau voters at 34 per cent. It has been the biggest issue for all five Māori electorates polled to date.

Other major issues in the northern seat were the economy, at 9 per cent, and honouring the Treaty of Waitangi at 6%.

In the leadership stakes, Chris Hipkins was the preferred prime minister with 27 per cent, with Rawiri Waititi on 12 per cent. Both beat Christopher Luxon on 11 per cent and Winston Peters on 10 per cent.

Polling was completed on Tuesday, October 3. A total of 500 registered voters in Te Tai Tokerau were polled by landline, mobile and online with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 per cent at the 95 per cent confidence level.