Ikaroa Rāwhiti is set to be one of the most fiercely contested match-ups of the 2023 election, and the electorate's loyalty is about to be tested.

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Ikaroa Rāwhiti is set to be one of the most fiercely contested match-ups of the 2023 election. The seat has long been a Labour Party stronghold, but the electorate's loyalty is about to be tested.

The defection of Labour minister Meka Whaitiri to Te Pāti Māori and the announcement of NZ Rugby's Māori programme manager Cushla Tangere-Manuel as Labour's new candidate means Ikaroa Rāwhiti is up for grabs.

The electorate ranges from isolated rural settlements to struggling urban centres, and it's home to some of Aotearoa's most economically deprived communities. Voters here face a broad range of issues: climate change, failing infrastructure, perpetual land leases, meth addiction, and the cost-of-living crisis.

Now these two wāhine have to convince a cyclone-ravaged region that they have the skills and the experience to help rebuild the rohe.

Mata Reports takes a tiki tour from Matakaoa in the north to Wainuiomata in the south to speak to the people about the issues that will decide their vote.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details