OPINION: By Crosbie Walsh
As Aotearoa New Zealand waited for the election special votes results there was no talk of violence in the streets or threatened endless litigation.
Our citizens are more tolerant of opposition and more liberal than the citizens of the divided nation that used to be called the “United States” of America.
A womanising, egotistical, vain, ignorant and self-serving person would never become Prime Minister here.
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So — feeling rather proud of ourselves— let us turn to the New Zealand special votes announced this afternoon.
Opposition National’s agonies continue with its loss of two more seats, and Labour won three electorates that it lost on election night.
In Maungakiekie, Labour’s Priyanca Radhakrishnan won by a 635 majority over National’s Denise Lee.
In Northland, Willow-Jean Prime defeated Matt King by a 163 vote majority, while in Whangārei, Emily Henderson won over Shane Reti with a 431 vote majority. Reti will, however, retain a seat in Parliament.
Greens hold Auckland Central
The Green Party’s Chloe Swarbrick held on to Auckland Central, doubling her election night lead of 1068, and Rawiri Waititi held his hat on to hold Waiariki and add a second Māori Party seat.
Radio NZ reports the Māori Party extra seat goes to co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer who comes in on the list.
“Today’s success is first and foremost about Waiariki, and that absolute belief in mana motuhake, belief in their candidate,” she said.
Labour’s Tamati Coffey has conceded to Waiariki electorate winner, Māori Party’s Rawiri Waititi.
Waititi won the seat by doubling his election night majority to 836.
The new 120-seat parliamentary line up is:
Labour – up one to 65 seats
National – down two to 33 seats
ACT and Greens are unchanged each with 10 seats
And the Māori Party gained a second seat.
Retired academic professor Dr Crosbie Walsh publishes the independent New Zealand, Fiji, Pacific and Global Issues blog.
