‘In it to win it’: Labour MP to run again for Labour seat in South Auckland

Labour MP for Panmure-Otahuhu Jenny Salesa reaffirmed her intentions to run again for the seat in the upcoming general election.

Salesa has held the seat since 2014 following the retirement of former Manukau East MP, Ross Robertson.

Salesa won the seat again in the recent general elections with an almost 8,000 majority and said many constituents have expressed their regret for voting for National.

“There are a lot of us that are ensuring that the policies that we take to the next election are the right ones, that we're listening and hearing our constituencies, and that we advocate as strongly as we can to ensure that their needs are actually addressed.

“Even though we're not in government, we still have those relationships with members of government, the MPs in government and we advocate as strongly as we can for our constituents.”

Salesa referred to her recent trip with Deputy Prime Minister, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters to Niue, Nauru and the Solomon Islands as an example of strengthening cross-party ties.

“I do want to acknowledge the Right Honourable Winston Peters for his leadership and his commitment to the Pacific.

“Actually for the fact that when we had these meetings and when we had meetings with the media in those countries, he actually said that he is committed to ensuring non-partisan support for these relationships because he knows that the coalition government is in at the moment.

“But in the future, it may not necessarily be this coalition government. And so he wanted to ensure a stable relationship with our Pacific neighbours, which is a priority for all of us as MPs.”

She affirmed Labour’s support for Green MP Teanau Tuiono’s citizenship bill which Salesa denied any regret from the party, given it didn’t take up the opportunity to pass a similar law whilst in power.

Salesa said support from National is crucial to getting the bill passed due to the fact that a financial veto might be used to prevent it from proceeding further.

“I sat through the very final day of the submissions in Wellington last Tuesday, and I can tell you that we heard so many moving submissions from our Samoan people. I actually cried a few times.

“Our own daughter made a submission based on a petition that she made that close to 7000 young people aged between 18 to 24 signed.

“She made the submission because [her] grandfather, my husband's father, was one of these Samoans whose citizenship was stripped off of them. In our household, we feel this as well, on a personal level.”