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The Kaipara ki Mahurangi electorate will again be represented by an electorate MP and a list MP following the October 14 General Election.
The incumbent, National’s Chris Penk, was returned as electorate MP with an increased majority, capturing almost 60 per cent of the candidate vote. National also won 48 per cent of the party vote in Kaipara ki Mahurangi, up from just over 33 per cent in the 2020 election.
Also heading to Wellington from Kaipara ki Mahurangi will be Jenny Marcroft, who was fifth on the NZ First party list. This will be Marcroft’s second term in Parliament, having served from 2017 to 2020.
Previously, the local list MP was Labour’s Marja Lubeck, who did not contest the seat this year.
Penk has hit the ground running after the election. As the senior whip for National, he has been leading the induction process for the large number of new MPs.
Although he was National’s shadow attorney general and associate spokesperson for justice during the previous term of government, he says it is too early to say what his role in the new government will be. Discussions still need to be held with at least one other party, he says.
This will be Penk’s third term in Parliament, but his first as a member of the government.
“I’m delighted at the prospect of being a local MP who has the ear of a National government,” he says. “I’m very hopeful that this will increase my ability to advocate on issues important to the area, when in Wellington.”
Asked what his priorities will be in this term, he said that during the campaign he was talking mostly about infrastructure priorities for north Auckland, including getting underway with the Warkworth to Te Hana motorway, helping to get the Hill Street intersection finally fixed and relieving pressure on the Dome Valley road.
“I’d love to play a constructive role in encouraging waste to energy investment as well, as that can only benefit the area.
“I’m hugely grateful for the opportunity to serve the area and commit to helping anyone who reaches out to me, as their local MP, regardless of who they voted for or any other factor.”
Penk also recorded his good wishes to Marja Lubeck.
“I’ve enjoyed our collegial interactions on local issues, where we’ve both been able to put aside party politics and I’m also certain that I’ll have a good cross-party relationship with Jenny Marcroft.
“Jenny and I know each other from her previous term as an MP and have already committed to working together for the good of Kaipara ki Mahurangi.”
Penk says he is also investigating the possibility of setting up an electoral office in Warkworth.
Te Tai Tokerau
The Maori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau was won narrowly by incumbent Labour Party candidate Kelvin Davis (7792 votes) ahead of the Maori Party’s Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (7305). Greens candidate Hūhana Lyndon was third with 3127 votes, one of the best ever performances by a Green candidate in Te Tai Tokerau.
Northland
The Northland electorate has returned to the National Party with Grant McCallum’s success at the polls on October 14. He trounced incumbent Labour candidate Willow-Jean Prime 14,245 votes to 8553. The next highest polling candidate was Shane Jones with 7136 votes, followed by Matt King with 3243.
