October 19, 2020
Reti has the medicine for Opposition
Whangārei MP Shane Reti says Saturday's red surge does not spell the end of the National Party.
Dr Reti holds a paper-thin majority and must wait for special votes to know if he will spend the term as a constituent of list MP.
He says it's now time for the party to regroup.
"We've seen a worse time in 2002 and we were able to gather ourselves and come back strongly. Certainly I said to my team about midnight on Saturday giving a speech of thanks to those in the electorate and I saw the sad faces and I said to them: 'Why the sad faces? We have no reason to be sad. Democracy has happened and this is how our cards have been dealt. These are the cards we have today. Lift your chins up and let's figure out how we can be a really impactful Opposition,'" Dr Reti says.
Dr Reti says a boundary change and a strategic choice by the Greens to tell their supporters to vote for the Labour candidate counted against him.
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