Whaitiri named clear winner

The final count for the Ikaroa-Rawhiti byelection shows Labour Party winner Meka Whaitiri with almost twice as many votes as her nearest rival.

The Electoral Commission released the official results on Wednesday for the June 29 parliamentary byelection, in which 12,149 votes were cast (35.7 per cent) from the 34,008 people enrolled.

Ms Whaitiri took the byelection with 4590 votes, which was 1659 votes ahead of Mana Party candidate and second placegetter Nikora Te Hamua, who received 2931 votes.

The Ikaroa-Rawhiti electorate extends from the East Cape of the North Island to the Wellington region, and includes Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, as well as most of the Hutt Valley and Wainuiomata.

Minor boundary changes in 2007 extended the electorate's western boundary to include Belmont, Taita and Naenae.

A total of 2470 advance votes and 1624 special votes were cast in the byelection, including 16 overseas votes, and 881 votes were disallowed. The results by voting place are available from www.electionresults.govt.nz

The number of votes won by other candidates in the byelection included: Michael Appleby, of Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party - 176 ; Green Party candidate Marama Davidson - 1251; Independent Adam Holland - 15; Maori Party candidate Na Rongowhakaata Raihana - 2229; Independent Maurice Wairau - 30.

The death of Labour Party MP Parekura Horomia on April 29 triggered the byelection. Mr Horomia had been elected in 1999 as MP for Ikaroa-Rawhiti and also was Minister of Maori Affairs from 2002 to 2008.