Goff: 'No one wants Act back in parliament'

Phil Goff has been hanging out in South Auckland. Photo / Dean Purcell

Phil Goff spent the morning trying to shore up support in south Auckland, one of the Labour Party's metropolitan strongholds, with just two weeks left until the election and what must seem like a mountain still to climb.

After meandering through the aisles at the Otara market, meeting and greeting stall owners and shoppers, Mr Goff took time to berate the Prime Minister for encouraging National Party supporters in Epsom to give their electorate vote to Act, which would ensure the party returns to parliament to provide support for Mr Key's Government.

"No one wants Act back in parliament but National's giving them one seat so they can try to smuggle a number of members of parliament back in. That's not want the people of Epsom want, that's not what the people of New Zealand want: it's rorting the system."

Mr Goff accused the prime minister of having "double standards" by inviting Epsom voters to give John Banks the tick, while Mr Key - himself an Epsom voter - said he would be voting for National's candidate.

Although MMP was still the fairest system of voting, Mr Goff said, a Labour Government would review the system to ensure this didn't happen again.

Manukau East Mana Party candidate John Minto was at the market, too, handing out stickers saying "tax the rich" and no doubt hoping to siphon some of the Labour's votes.

Mr Minto said voters in what is one of the poorest electorates in the country had become disillusioned with their Labour MP Ross Robertson, who had a landslide victory in the 2008 election with 66 percent of the vote.

"It's a big battle for us here because there's such an entrenched Labour vote but I think it's an indictment on Labour that they've had an MP in this electorate for so long who's been almost invisible. He goes to parliament, drinks cups of tea and collects a big salary but never raises any of the community issues before the politicians.

"I haven't seen a single media release put out that's talked about the struggles in this community, one of the lowest income communities in New Zealand."

Also vote-hunting in the vibrant, busy market was National's Mangere candidate Claudette Hauiti, who is counting on a change in south Auckland voters' mood since the last election.

"I think the tide is starting to change in this area. I've knocked on over 5000 doors and people are really wanting to engage now, they're wanting to know about the policies a lot more than they had done say seven months ago so I think there is definitely a shift in mood and a shift in opinion in south Auckland.

"They can see the advantages that they've already had under a National government and they want to keep that stability, they don't want a big shake-up."