Editorial: Outgoing MP a loss to Rotorua

There have been several stories of note to come out of this year's general election - the return of Winston Peters and John Banks to Parliament, the futures of Don Brash and Phil Goff, the knife-edge decider in Christchurch Central, the success of the Greens and the coalition possibilities ahead - but closer to home, where National's incumbent MP Todd McClay stormed to victory in the Rotorua electorate on Saturday night, spare a thought for outgoing Labour list MP Steve Chadwick.

Mrs Chadwick, a former Rotorua district councillor, became Rotorua MP at the 1999 general election, winning the seat with a 5000 majority over National's Max Bradford.

After three terms in the role she was ousted by Mr McClay at the 2008 poll, but remained in Parliament as a list MP.

Until this weekend, when her second placing in the electorate and a poor Labour Party vote meant her list placing of 34 wasn't high enough to keep her in.

Have we in Rotorua appreciated over the past three years the benefits of having three local MPs (including Te Ururoa Flavell)?

I imagine the many people, organisations, causes and businesses they have helped out have. And at the weekend, had things gone a little differently for Labour and Mana, we may have ended up with four.

But while Mrs Chadwick represented us at a national level for 12 years, she also looked to her traditional party base and her union history and fought for the worker.

There are many things to note about her time as MP, but her work in banning smoking from the workplace, including pubs, effected a major culture change for many of us - one that may have seemed strange at the time, but seems perfectly natural now - and could well have contributed to saving countless lives.

Would those in the hospitality industry and National opposition who rallied against the law at the time really want to go back?

Would you?

So that was the 2011 election. Congratulations Todd McClay and Te Ururoa Flavell, and further afield, Anne Tolley, Tony Ryall and Louise Upston. Commiserations to Annette Sykes (who made the Waiariki race that much more interesting), Louis Te Kani, Fletcher Tabuteau and the other unsuccessful candidates. And thank you to Steve Chadwick, for the past 12 years.