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Prime Minister John Key spoke to more than 500 members of South Auckland’s Pasifika community on Tuesday.
The meeting, with Pacific church leaders at the Samoan Independent Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mangere, was also a platform to promote National’s candidate for Mangere, Misa Fia Turner.
Key says there had been a shift in support in the Labour stronghold of South Auckland.
“I can’t think of a time when I’ve been the leader of the National Party when we would have had so many people in Mangere turn up for a National Party meeting.”
“I think it just sends a very strong message that there are changes afoot in voting patterns for Pacific New Zealanders.” Key said.
Key concedes National is still the Pacific underdog, but believes come September they will secure more votes from south Auckland than ever before
Gay marriage is considered to be one of the main reasons for the change.
“The values, that’s important to us because that’s really against our moral values ,” says Misa-Fia Turner.
National’s Pacific Island Affairs Minister and Maungakiekie MP Sam Lotu-Iiga admitted that unseating incumbent Mangere MP, Labour’s Su’a William Sio, would be a tough ask.
I wouldn’t get overly optimistic about it,” Lotu-Iiga said.
Labour leader David Cunliffe insists he is still living the Pacific dream.
“We have had a wonderful day here in Manurewa,” he says.
He says the turnout at his meeting in south Auckland last night proves that.
“It’s great. We are having an amazing turn out, record numbers.”
Source
- The New Zealand Herald
- 3News
- Image: 3News
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