Chloe Swarbrick, Emma Mellow and Helen White all agreed at the September radio debate that they were similar people with similar beliefs so it’s no surprise that Swarbrick and White say they will now work together across party lines for the Waiheke community. Photo Erin Johnson

“I’m very keen to work with everybody who is keen to make things happen – and to those who are keen to stand in my way, I’d say, well, let’s chat…”

Chloe Swarbrick’s voice is croaking under the weight of a “manic” weekend of answering reporters’ questions and getting down to work finding out what life will be like as a constituency MP for Auckland Central – and, by extension, Waiheke Island. But that’s not going to stop her looking for more to talk about.

She’s just getting on a bus to the Beehive when Gulf News catches up with her on Tuesday morning (a Green party photo circulated shortly afterwards shows her on the steps of parliament smiling on the shoulder of party co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw surrounded by a potential caucus of 10 other MPs) and it’s fair to say she feels pretty vindicated for the back to basics campaigning that earnt her 9060 votes and swept her past Labour’s Helen White (8568) and National’s Emma Mellow (7566) on Saturday’s election night. 

Just a fortnight ago polling had suggested she was the underdog and she’s rather content to be able to crow at those who had counted her out. • James Belfield

Full story in this week’s Gulf News… Out Now!!!

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