Rachel misses out on List seat

Labour's Tauranga candidate Rachel Jones is having a low key day after missing out on a List MP seat in parliament in last night's election results.

The Labour Party only managed 24.69 per cent of the vote count last night – equating to 32 seats in Parliament. With 27 electorate MPs getting their call to the beehive first, the opposition party will only take five List MPs to Wellington – which excludes Rachel, sitting 25th on the party's list.


Labour's Tauranga candidate Rachel Jones, pcitured last night, before missing out on a List MP seat in parliament in the election results.

Meanwhile, National hurtled towards unchartered waters, winning 48.06 per cent of votes in last night's election – equating to 61 seats in Parliament – an even bigger margin than in 2011.

Speaking to SunLive today, Rachel says she's feeling tired and ready for a bit of rest after last night's results. 'MMP works so that the electorate candidates take the seats first – we actually lost MPs this time round.

'Obviously [I'm] feeling a bit disappointed with the overall result for the country but happy with what we achieved in Tauranga.

'There was no real Labour presence here and we feel like the two teams – for Tauranga and Bay of Plenty – have built a presence here and are on an upward curve here.”

Rachel says she will definitely stayed involved with Labour but is unsure whether she'll put herself forward for selection as a candidate for the next general election in three years' time.

'Probably, it's hard to answer the morning after [the election], but probably.”

Asked what's behind such a strong voting pattern towards National this election, Rachel thinks it's a change in Kiwi culture.

'I think people are much more individualistic now. I think we used to be more community-minded and care about what happens to others.

'But to me it feels like people are now very much of the mind ‘If I'm comfortable and not struggling and I don't want to help the others'.

'And I think that's what most disheartening about this for me; we used to be more caring as a society and now everyone's looking out for themselves.”

Rachel says the ‘Dirty Politics' book and Mana Internet party's arrival also took up airtime Labour would have liked, to talk more about their policies.

'The Dotcom scenario definitely took some oxygen away from us,” says Rachel.

'We had hundreds of pages of really good policy and I think if people had really had a chance to understand those… things might have gone differently.

'But also think is partly the media's fault – they tend to focus on the sideshows and give that a lot of airtime.”

Rachel says keeping things low key today, Labour's core team in the region will gather in the next week or so 'just to reflect on what we've learnt and where to from here”.

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3 comments

Lots of respect for the good Dr.

Posted on 21-09-2014 16:50 | By dgk

Many thanks to Dr Jones. The only politician brave enough to head over my way in Merivale.


I agree.

Posted on 21-09-2014 19:08 | By Paul Melhuish

Totally with you on the points made about NZers becoming more self centred Rachel. I genuinely think you would back up your claims and policies and reach those people most needing the assistance and hope you give it another go in 3 years so you prove it to all. Make sure you enjoy a bit of down time now though ay!


Oh well

Posted on 22-09-2014 09:02 | By Baystyle

Better luck next time. Tenacity is the way to succeed. We need your policies in parliament!


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