National working on plans to recapture Whangārei and Northland electorates

Christopher Luxon is keen for Whangārei list MP Dr Shane Reti to be the Minister of Health in a National-led government. Photo / Tania Whyte

Constructive criticism of the Government and proposing new ideas were among the ways National aimed to re-capture the Northland and Whangārei electorates in the next election.

During his first visit to Northland as the party leader, Christopher Luxon said the region's story was the same as that of all the other electorates across New Zealand in the last election except Whangārei, where Labour did not win the party vote.

National Party MP Dr Shane Reti won the initial count by a slender 164 votes in the 2020 election but Labour's Emily Henderson was declared the winner after special votes were counted and the final results announced.

The result was a historic shock as Labour had only held Whangārei once, from 1972 to 1975.

Sitting Northland MP Matt King also lost to Labour's Willow-Jean Prime after the special votes were counted.

Labour had last held Northland (then the Bay of Islands electorate) in 1938.

"We have to demonstrate to Kiwis that we'll oppose the Government strongly and we'll criticise
but also be constructive doing so. And we have to propose new ideas," Luxon said.

"I think people are starting to get a sense that's the mode we're working in. If we do that job right, they'll start to see us as an alternative government in waiting that has the ideas and the plans and can build back the trust so that they elect us in 2023.

"Dr Shane Reti is very senior in the National line-up, he's a man of great integrity, mana, he cares deeply about the healthcare profession and what's happening in healthcare in general. He's going to make an outstanding Minister of Health.

"So I think we've got the talent and the people that have actually got the lived experience that are passionate about the areas and the portfolios they are responsible for. They will oppose the Government strongly but importantly propose ideas over the coming 12 months.

"That's really what I've asked the team to do, so they are clear that when they become new ministers in our government they are ready to go from day one."