15 Oct 2023

Megan Woods on Labour Party's election loss

From Morning Report, 8:23 am on 15 October 2023

The Labour Party's share of votes has roughly halved since Dame Jacinda Ardern led the party to an outright majority of seats in 2020. 

On Saturday night, the party also lost two electorate seats to the Green Party in Wellington Central and Rongotai 

It has lost three of its Māori electorates to Te Pāti Māori - Te Tai Hauāuru was won by Debbie Ngarewa-Packer; Te Tai Tonga by Takuta Ferris; and Hauraki-Waikato, which has been held by Labour's Nanaia Mahuta since 2008, is shifting to 21-year-old Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke. 

Labour supporters packed out the Lower Hutt Town Hall hoping for a celebration, but on Chris Hipkins' arrival, he conceded the election to National.

Supporters were gutted, but they told reporter Ashleigh McCaull they remained supportive of Chris Hipkins as leader.

Labour Party campaign chair Dr Megan Woods spoke to Guyon Espiner.