Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Labour picks Carmel Sepuloni for Waitakere seat

Updated at 6:38 pm on 22 March 2010

The Labour Party has selected Carmel Sepuloni as its candidate for Waitakere at the next general election.

Ms Sepuloni, a list MP and the party's spokesperson for civil defence, won the nomination on Saturday from community advocate Ann Pala, university lecturer Hamish McCracken and fellow list MP Phil Twyford.

Party president Andrew Little says that he is confident she can win back Waitakere, which Labour's Lynne Pillay lost by 632 votes to National's Paula Bennett in the 2008 election.

Ms Sepuloni also expresses confidence about winning the seat, saying that, like Ms Bennett, she comes from a working-class background and is someone the constituency can relate to.

Each candidate made a speech in front of a selection panel consisting of a mixture of local and party head office representatives.

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