Tamati Coffey wins Rotorua Labour nomination

Tamati Coffey

Tamati Coffey has tweeted that he's been selected as Rotorua's Labour Party candidate for the forthcoming general election.

Rotorua Lakes High School deputy principal Dr Angela Sharples and Integrated Health Services company director Hugh Kininmonth were nominated for selection for the Rotorua electorate alongside Mr Coffey.

A former TV star, Mr Coffey told the Rotorua Daily Post earlier this month his true passion was politics and he was ready to embark on a career in Parliament after a decade appearing on New Zealand's television screens.

Tamati Coffey's tweet this afternoon.

In that interview he said the time was right for him to follow his dream.

"Rotorua is our home now, my parents have lived here for many years and we love living here."

He said Labour's principles were his principles.

"I'm about people and the community, I'm about the benefits for the many rather than the few."

He said he understood it would take a lot of hard work to unseat incumbent Rotorua MP Todd McClay if he became the Rotorua candidate.

"All the data says Todd should win this so, yes, it will be an uphill battle.

"I'm still developing my messages, but I think I first need to engage people, I want to capture all of those enrolled non-voters."