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FaaFoi Hangs On For Labour In Mana
Former TVNZ political reporter Kris Faafoi is Labour’s newest MP after winning the Mana by-election today.
With all booths counted Faafoi recorded 10,397 votes compared to Hekia Parata’s 9317.
His majority of 1080 was slashed compared to his predecessor Winnie Laban’s 6155, but the turnout was also very low with 22,387 votes cast at the by-election compared to 34,000 in 2008.
There are still more than 1000 special votes to be cast, but it is rare for these to make significant differences to election night results
It appears Labour voters stayed loyal to the party, with union leader and political activist Matt McCarten only picking up 816 votes and Jan Logie for the Greens coming in third place with 1493 votes.
National had been hoping a low turn out of Labour voters and a split in the left vote may have given them a surprise win in what has always been a Labour held seat.
The Mana electorate is based around the Porirua Harbour communities of Porirua City, Titahi Bay, Whitby, Mana, and Plimmerton, and the Kapiti Coast communities of Pukerua Bay, Paekakariki, and Raumati.
Boundary changes in 2007 saw parts of Paraparaumu, east of State Highway 1, also included.
Among the general electorates, Mana has the fourth-highest proportion of Pacific Peoples 20.8 percent, triple the national average 6.9 percent.
National will take great heart that it increased its vote and slashed the Labour electorate majority.
But Labour still won and it appears that its support base stayed loyal despite strong campaigns from National, McCarten and the Greens.
Faafoi left the Press Gallery to work in Labour Leader Phil Goff’s office as a press secretary.
ends
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