Labour leader Phil Goff used the opening of the party's new head office in Tauranga on Tuesday to reconnect with provincial New Zealand.
The Labour Party Bay of Plenty office in Greerton will house MPs Jacinda Ardern, Steve Chadwick and Moana Mackey.

Phil Goff at the opening of the new Labour Party Bay of Plenty office in Greerton.

Labour lost every electorate in the Bay of Plenty at the 2008 election to either National or the Maori Party.
'Although we don't hold the seats at the moment, we do have 17,000 Labour voters,” Phil told a crowd of supporters at the opening.
Phil says with companies in the area like the Port of Tauranga and Zespri, Tauranga is commercially important to New Zealand.
Although Labour lost support at the last election in provincial areas like the Bay of Plenty, Phil believes having a presence, listening to people and engaging the community will turn the tide.
'We're going to rebuild support and trust to re-elect a Labour government.
I think it's a great day for Labour here and it is important to reach out and make contact with people and win back the vote in the provinces,” says Phil.
Jacinda, who entered Parliament at the same age as Phil Goff, will be the buddy MP for Tauranga.