Labour minister and Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis says climate change will be a significant focus of his campaign.
With Labour falling in the polls, the pressure is on its Māori MPs to deliver the Māori seats.
Northland has been hard-hit in 2023 with cyclones and crumbling infrastructure, issues that aren’t mutually exclusive in one of the lowest socio-economic regions in Aotearoa.
Since 2014, Kelvin Davis has been the top politician in Te Taitokerau, defeating all-comers. This year sees the arrival of strong competitors. But he knows the significant issues facing his constituency.
“There is a massive amount of work to do to protect Te Taitokerau.”
“It’s those same issues in Te Taitokerau, creating jobs, housing for whānau, education, and health. Those are the big issues for voters in Te Taitokerau.”
Davis also says when Cyclone Gabrielle landed this year, Te Taitokerau was battered, with crippling outages in cell phone and internet coverage, so signal coverage is very much one of the main issues.
“If there is another weather event in Te Taitokerau, it’s essential that whānau are able to communicate with each other, and we have a plan coming.”
But the road to victory in Te Taitokerau, whoever gets the tick, will be paved with gravel, mud, and potholes.
That’s the call from Far North mayor Moko Tepania.
“In my role as mayor of the Far North, roading is the single most important issue affecting the region. Every day I get literally hundreds of calls, emails for this very subject.”
“The effects of the weather are really hurting.”