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Download AudioFormer Auckland councillor and now new Green List MP Fa’anana Efeso Collins says he wants to give voters in his south Auckland community a sense hope.
Voter turnout is yet to be confirmed by the Electoral Commission but indications are numbers in South Auckland were down by a third.
Mr Collins says a lot of people chose not to vote because they felt a sense of hopelessness.
“Our job as te Pati Kakariki is to restore that hope, to get our young people reengaged and reconnected and that is going to make a huge difference for them so I’m really excited. While I know there’s a lot of disappointment in the community with the result – we’re going to have an extremely right wing Government – what we can do is get in and stand shoulder to shoulder with our communities so they know hope is coming,” he says.
Labour retained the South Auckland seats of Māngere, Panmure-Ōtahuhu and Manurewa, but the lower turnout contributed t its overall lower party vote.
It also lost the Takanini seat created last election.
The Green Party is ethnically diverse with 50% of it’s caucus being Māori and Pasifika including Co-Leader Marama Davidson, Wellington MP Tamatha Paul Ngāti Awa, Waikato Tainui. List MP’s Huhana Lyndon Ngāti Hine, Ngā Puhi, Darlene Tana, Ngā Puhi, Te Ati Awa Whānui, Kahurangi Carter Tainui, Waikato, Te Anau Tuiono, Ngāi Tākoto Ātiu, Fa’anana Efeso Collins Hāmoa, Tokelau.
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