December 13, 2022
Potaka ready to be voice of Hamilton West
New Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka says he’s looking forward to being be the voice for his new electorate.
The former Tainui Group Holdings staffer and chief executive of Ngai Tai ki Tamaki won the seat for National in Saturday’s by-election.
He says the campaign was a real whanau effort as he mobilised family and friends as well as party members to campaign for what was a safe National seat until the 2020 upset.
The voters have been unrepresented since former MP Gaurav Sharma quit.
“(Being) their voice means to be highly visible and engaged both on the ground in Wellington, more particularly in Hamilton West from Te Rapa through to Glenview and from Grandview through to St Andrews and Woodridge so being vision, being out there and engaged with people is really important,” Mr Potaka says.
He says the people he saw during the campaign were particularly concerned about the cost of living and about their perception of high crime in the area.
The official results will be declared on December 21, so he won’t be sworn in until the new year.