Flavell, Labour tops in Waiariki electorate

Three candidates for the Waiariki electorate seat, Annette Sykes, Te Ururoa Flavell and Rawiri Waititi. Photo / Ben Fraser

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell and the Labour Party are the clear winners in a Waiariki electorate poll should the election be held tomorrow.

The Maori Television Reid Research poll was released last night and questioned 500 people in the electorate. They were asked which candidates they would vote for; which political party they wanted most to see in Government; what issues they considered were important; and who should the Maori Party work with in the future.

The margin of error was plus/minus 4.38 per cent.

The results were screened on news programme, Te Kaea and current affairs show, Native Affairs last night.

Half of those who took part said they would vote for incumbent MP Te Ururora Flavell compared to 21 per cent for Internet Mana Party candidate Annette Sykes. Labour's Rawiri Waititi polled 17 per cent and NZ Independent Coalition Pat Spellman 2 per cent.

The majority chose the Labour Party to be in Government with 35 per cent followed by the Maori Party at 26 per cent. Internet Mana Party polled 14 per cent, NZ First 8 per cent and Green Party at 5 per cent.

Act and United Future both had 0 per cent.

The most important issues considered were family violence, education, child poverty, cost of living, te reo Maori, Maori unemployment, housing, Maori leadership and mining.

Poll results

The Maori Television Reid Research poll results for the Waiariki electorate:

If the election was held tomorrow which of the candidates who are standing would you vote for?

Te Ururoa Flavell - 50%
Annette Sykes - 21%
Rawiri Waititi - 17%
Pat Spellman - 2%
Don't know - 7%
None of these/would not vote - 3%

If the election was held tomorrow, which political party would you vote for with your party vote?

Labour - 35%
Maori Party - 26%
Internet Mana Party - 14%
National - 11%
NZ First - 8%
Green Party - 5%
Conservative Party - 1%
Act - 0%
United Future - 0%

The respondents were asked to rate the following issues from one (not very important) to nine (very important), with five being neither important nor unimportant. The results below show, for each issue, the percentage who regard that issue as having some level of importance, ie scored it six or above.

Family violence - 96%
Education - 96%
Child poverty - 96%
Cost of living - 94%
Te Reo Maori - 91%
Maori unemployment - 90%
Housing - 88%
Maori Leadership - 84%
Mining - 70%

If the Maori Party held the balance of power, would you prefer they went into partnership with a National-led or Labour-led coalition?

Labour-led - 63%
National-led - 26%
Don't know/other - 11%

Do you think the Maori Party and the Mana Party should work together?

Yes - 66%
No - 28.8%
Don't know - 5.2%