Annette Sykes: Poll results irrelevant

Mana Party candidate for the Waiariki seat Annette Sykes thinks the latest Digipoll Maori Voter Survey is irrelevant.

The TVNZ Marae Investigates Digipoll is one of the most established voter polls in New Zealand and often the only one to survey Maori voters in an election year.

"This is the first poll since the formation of the Mana Party and it shows Mana's arrival has really hit Maori Party support hardest," Marae Investigates executive producer Raewyn Rasch said.

"There is some good news for the Maori Party and that is voters accept its campaign line that being at the Cabinet table is important. Voters have not agreed with Mana claims that the Maori party lacks energy. While Mana has gained support, its party vote at 8.5 per cent was still in fourth position behind National on 16.4 per cent."

In the Waiariki electorate the Mana Party is second behind the Maori Party (at 59.3 per cent) with 18.7 per cent.

Ms Sykes said the poll taken from August 19 to September 20 was before the party had made any of its major announcements of who would be standing in which seats. She also questioned the methodology of the poll which surveys 1000 people by phone. She said the Mana constituency is Facebook and mobile phone savvy and do not rely on landlines.

She was heartened by the good turnouts at meetings held in Murupara, Tauranga, Te Puke and down the coast over the weekend. Mana Party leader Hone Harawira said he would also throw his weight behind Ms Sykes' Waiariki bid.

Incumbent MP Te Ururoa Flavell was polling at 59.3 per cent slightly down from his election day majority of 64 per cent. He said it was still early days.

"Clearly the positives are that people recognise our position and we are able to work for the betterment of the people."

Labour candidate Louis Te Kani said there was plenty of hard work ahead and was happy about the very strong party vote, which saw 38.4 per cent of those surveyed give Labour their party vote.

He said he was disappointed with the electorate vote which had Labour polling at 8.8 per cent - a drop of almost 22 per cent from the 2008 election.

He said his team had learnt a lot from the Te Taitokerau by-election where the Labour candidate, Kelvin Davies, ran a strong campaign. He also sees the possibility of the Mana and Maori parties splitting the vote allowing him to take the seat.

"With strong candidates such as Te Ururoa and Annette on both sides there is a likelihood of a split vote."