Wairarapa electorate: Nats put win down to 'people power'

Jacob Fletcher casts his vote on Saturday morning at the Dannevirke South School polling booth. PHOTO/CHRISTINE MCKAY

At the Wairarapa National Party headquarters in the early hours of yesterday morning, new MP Alastair Scott was over the moon with his election win.

"I'm very happy, especially given the performance of Kieran (McAnulty, Labour) and Ron (Mark, New Zealand First)," Mr Scott said. "They were two tough candidates."

With an election night majority of 6228, Mr Scott came close to former Wairarapa MP John Hayes' 2011 election margin of 7135.

For Tim Delaney, National's party organiser in Dannevirke, an increase in the National party vote from the last election was "amazing."

"When you factor in the Ron Mark element, for Alastair to have the majority he has is great," he said. "I'm absolutely chuffed."

In Dannevirke Mr Delaney said the success came down to people power.

"It's thanks to all those people who worked so hard," he said. "This was about people connecting to people, that's the National Party's secret. It's not about the party machine, but all about connections."

Second behind Mr Scott was Labour's Kieran McAnulty, with 8685 votes.

"Naturally I'm disappointed," he said. "I would have liked to have eaten into National's majority and that was my goal when I first decided to stand. But I didn't anticipate a high-profile third party candidate (Ron Mark), which really mixed things up. However, I'm buoyed by the more than 7000 party votes I received."

Mr McAnulty said he doesn't regret not standing for Labour's party list. "Absolutely not," he said. "I'm sincere about wanting to represent this region and not standing for the list was something I needed to do to prove that. I'm young, just 29, and want to prove to the people of this electorate I'm here for them and I'll be putting my hand up again in 2017. After all, Helen Clark and Rob Muldoon didn't make it on their first attempt to get into Parliament either."

In third place was Carterton mayor and NZ First candidate Ron Mark, with 8006 votes, who has made it into Parliament on the New Zealand First list.

Mr Mark said he was bitterly disappointed not to be representing the Wairarapa in Parliament.

"It's humbling to think that in a campaign of just over three weeks, I got more than 8000 votes," he said. "I was up against candidates who had been campaigning for six and 12 months, so it was just disappointing to fall short and not get the mandate to represent the electorate. People judged me on my track record and a few more weeks campaigning would have made a big difference.

"Everywhere I went the feedback was tremendous, but of course there are some places which are very staunch and some of those people are never going to change their values."

And Mr Mark said he was putting Alastair Scott on notice.

" I'll be watching to make sure he performs for this electorate. My challenge to him is when will he move here (to the Wairarapa) - or will he continue to live in Wellington."