Field moves to register 'Pacific Party'

Independent MP Taito Phillip Field has moved to register a new Pacific Party with the Electoral Commission.

Mr Field today said the new party already had around 700 paid up members – 200 more than the 500 needed to register.

Mr Field said his party would represent Christian and family values as well as standing for social justice.

Mr Field said he was waiting to see the level of support he garnered before deciding whether to take his election campaign wider than Mangere.

He was "reasonably confident" of winning Mangere.

"The strength of support is there. I've certainly made a commitment working for the local people for a long time," he said.

"A lot of people are unhappy with some of the things Labour has been doing."

But Labour Party president Mike Williams said on Radio New Zealand that Labour retained strong Pacific support and he did not believed Mr Field's party would prove a serious threat.

Mr Field has always said he planned to fight for re-election in his Mangere seat, despite facing 15 charges of bribery and 25 of obstructing or perverting the course of justice.

The charges relate to allegations made against Mr Field over work done on properties he owned by Thai immigrants seeking to stay in New Zealand and over information he gave a subsequent inquiry.