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National | Elections

Tāmaki Makaurau voters still undecided

With only four days to go and a tight race ahead for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat, voters are still undecided.

Dobson Brown and his family recently moved back from Australia and have been living in South Auckland for the last two years.

The 42-year-old father of six says, "I don't even want to get out of bed for wages over here, it's ridiculous ... we're just making ends meet. We can't do nothing with our kids, you can't plan for a holiday, nothing."

The born and bred South Aucklander returned to New Zealand after living in Australia for 20 years.

"The struggle is for real over here, something's got to change. We've seen too many Māori around here living in poverty and that's not right, that's not fair."

The Tāmaki Makaurau voter is adamant his party vote will go to Labour.

He is still undecided when it comes to voting for a candidate and will lean towards someone who can address Auckland’s living costs and wages.

"Just a change in lifestyle, an increase in wages, just balance the living style over here out."

Another voter, Manurewa Rongoa co-ordinator Beverly Puia is also undecided.

She says, "That's a hard one, but you know leaning towards Labour and Māori, so between the two."

While she is still unsure on where to cast her party vote, she says she is likely to cast her candidate vote to the Green Party's Marama Davidson.

"They're in there (Marama Davidson and Louisa Wall) with whānau and that, you see them all the time. Whereas the rest of them you know you just see a lot of our candidates when it comes party time, just saying."

Meanwhile, acupuncturist 44-year-old Kaanan Otene has opted out of the Māori electorate Tāmaki Makaurau to vote in the general electorate of Manurewa. He says his vote will make more of difference there.

He says, "I don't think my vote really counts in regards to the big scheme of the picture. In saying that, I'd like to think that it will make a difference if my vote did count."