“MMP was the winner, it’s the first time we’ve actually had a proper MMP election… it’s not going to be left and right; National, Labour ruling the roost. And now we’re starting to see people saying we’ve got options, strategic voting has come into play” – NZ First List MP, Alfred Ngaro.
The country took to the polls over the weekend, to decide which political party or parties will form the 55th parliament of New Zealand. The preliminary results did not deliver a clear result.
Until the more than 390,000 votes are counted, no political bloc has been able to claim an outright victory. On top of this, there is the impact of the overhang of seats that could change the make-up of who can form a coalition government. This will not be known for another few weeks.
While it was a big night for the minor parties, especially the Opportunity Party, which managed to get past the five percent threshold to enter parliament, there are no new Pacific faces heading to Wellington.
Opportunity’s only Pacific candidate Romeo Tevaga missed out on a place, sitting at number 12 on their list. Speaking to Tagata Pasifika ahead of the vote, he was optimistic of the party’s chances.
“I think for Opportunity, it’s finding that gift that NZ needs as we’ve seen global trends around the world, there’s a shift to more progressive politics and I think that’s what Opportunity brings to the NZ political ecosystem. So we’re very excited to bring that here as a good alternative.”
There were more than 26 Pasifika candidates who stood for the election across the 17 registered political parties.
After a six year absence from politics, former National MP and Minister for Pacific Peoples Alfred Ngaro is set to return to parliament, to serve as a new list MP for New Zealand First led by Winston Peters.
Based on the party gaining 9.78 percent of the vote, NZ First gets 12 seats. At number five on the party’s list, Ngaro was a virtual certainty to get back into Parliament.
Speaking on Tagata Pasifika’s post-election special, Ngaro says he’s humbled by the result.
“It’s an honour to be able to be given the privilege to come back again. We’re just here to serve and do our part.”
Ngaro also noted that minor parties like NZ First, Opportunities and Greens are changing the landscape of politics in the country.
“MMP was the winner, it’s the first time we’ve actually had a proper MMP election… it’s not going to be left and right; National, Labour ruling the roost. And now we’re starting to see people saying we’ve got options, strategic voting has come into play.”
It was also a good night for the Green Party. Gaining 13.30 percent of the party vote, they’ll have 16 MPs enter Parliament including Cook Islander Teanau Tuiono who returns for his third term as a list MP. Also to note, new List MP Tania Waikato who stood for one of the seven Maori seats in Waiariki, is of Samoan and Hawaiian heritage. Tuiono says that, while they’re pleased with the result, it was a tough campaign.
“I think there is a mood for change in the country, we were up against the other side who had millions and millions of dollars… and our side didn’t have that type of resource. People do want change.”
It was another disappointing outcome for National’s Pacific candidates, despite the party gaining 42 electorate seats. This did not translate into a place for young lawyer Angee Nicholas, who stood in the Henderson electorate, nor Rosemary Bourke in Mangere and Agnes Loheni in Waitakere.
Labour will be pleased that all their current Pacific candidates; Carmel Sepuloni, Barbara Edmonds, Jenny Salesa, Tangi Utikere and Lemauga Sosene have won their electorate seats comfortably.
Sepuloni says it is still too early to say if they will be able to form a new coalition government.
“We always knew it was going to be a very close race. New Zealand has spoken, we are just not sure what they have said at this point. The result I guess is not definitive.”
Political commentators Tauiliili Christian Malietoa-Brown, Emmaline Pickering- Martin and Richard Pamatatau gave their assessment of the election results
Malietoa-Brown remarked that Labour and National won’t be pleased with their results, adding that he was surprised a minor party like Opportunity got through.
“The fact that we don’t have a clear winner… probably the most frustrating part is that nobody believes either side at this point,” he says.
For Pickering-Martin, she says the results show that those at the top of the political spectrum need to address the issue of representation and understand the impact of their decisions.
“We also understand that the decisions we’re making… have a long term effect but the men at the top seem not to see,” she says.
“And I think there’s also a dearth of female leadership, we’re just looking at all these men to lead us… but Pasifika communities, where is our representation? If Alfred is our saving grace on the right? Wow.”
Veteran journalist and political commentator Richard Pamatatau acknowledges how tough it is for the candidates, families, friends who stand for elections and don’t win.
“That is something that is really difficult… but also all the parties need to find better candidates.”
Voter turnout is estimated to sit at 74.6 percent of those enrolled compared to 78.2 percent in 2023. The official results process began on Sunday 8 November and is expected to be completed in 20 days.
