Election 2023: Carl Bates says being Whanganui’s new MP is ‘a real privilege’

Whanganui MP-elect Carl Bates at the National election headquarters at the Laird Park Bowling Club. Photo / Bevan Conley

Carl Bates says there was a mood for change, as the National Party candidate won the Whanganui seat by more than 5000 votes over one-term Labour MP Steph Lewis.

Preliminary election results on Saturday show Bates will be Whanganui’s new MP with 16,446 votes, ahead of Lewis with 11,376.

“[It was] a real privilege to have been elected last night, and I’m looking forward to the journey. There’s a lot of hard work ahead,” Bates told the Chronicle on Sunday.

Bates said he didn’t go into the election night with any expectations, but said the result was credit for the hard work of the campaign.

He said the win signified a mood for change in the electorate and a want to see an MP who would work hard for the issues important to the electorate.

“They wanted a change of government and to see a government that was focused on the needs of people throughout this electorate,” he said.

It was also a sign people in the region were against the centralisation of services.

“They wanted to see Three Waters gone; I’ve had a number of messages reminding me about that already,” he said.

“They don’t like things going to Wellington and other places around the country and being controlled outside our region.”

He and the other MP will head to Wellington on Monday for an induction week at Parliament.

His immediate plans for his term were to work on policies that would immediately affect the electorate.

“Like the reversal of Three Waters, like the reversal of the RMA [Resource Management Act] 2.0,” he said.

He would also be focused on National’s city and regional deals, which will see the Government partner with local government to create long-term pipelines for regional projects.

“I think that that’s going to be a real opportunity for us should the [Whanganui District] Council be successful in negotiating one of those city and regional deals,” Bates said.

“I’m here to be the Member of Parliament for the electorate, and that means every constituent and person in our electorate.”

Bates said he had a “tranquil” election day.

“We went for a park run this morning and then took my son to his swimming lesson, and then we went down to the market and headed off and voted.

“I suppose I’m a little bit of a traditionalist.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, Lewis said it was “not the result we were hoping for”.

“My team has put in 110 per cent in and we gave it absolutely everything, and I gave it absolutely everything in my term as an MP.”

Bates thanked Lewis for her service to the Whanganui electorate.

Lewis said she hadn’t expected the mood for change to be at such an elevated degree and had expected it to be closer.

She said she was “feeling for everyone who will be worse off under the change of government”.

“I’m disappointed for the electorate, actually,” she said.

Steph Lewis with supporters on Saturday evening. Photo / Bevan Conley

“I don’t think it’s fair for the electorate to have a third MP in three terms. It takes a term to learn the job, so they’re starting back at square one.”

Lewis said she would continue to fight for social justice and for those who didn’t have a voice. However, it was too early to make a call on her future in politics.

“I want to go home and spend time with my kids, because my family has sacrificed a lot in order for me to do this job,” she said.

“We just didn’t get there tonight, unfortunately.”

Meanwhile, NZ First’s Williams Arnold was third on 2694 votes ahead of the Greens’ Marion Sanson on 1547, Act’s Craig Dredge on 1405 and the Animal Justice Party’s Sandra Kyle on 322.

“I did the best I could do. I’ve had to keep working four days a week so I couldn’t get out there and campaign like some of the others, but I’m happy with how I’ve gone,” Arnold said.

“I’m optimistic. I think New Zealand First is definitely back in there, we’ve just got to wait and see.”

For Green Party Whanganui candidate Marion Sanson, election day fell on another special occasion.

“It happens to be my birthday, actually, so I’ve had quite a lot of calls and people visiting with gifts, so that was nice,” she said.

“I wanted to talk about climate change and climate action needed, so I got to do that, and that’s important to me and to the party.”