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Prime Minister John Key says slashing Labour's majority in the Mana by-election shows people are supporting the National Government's policies.
Labour's Kris Faafoi won the seat held by Labour for over 50 years by a slim 1080 vote majority on Saturday. His 10,397 votes made up 47 percent of those cast while National's Hekia Parata tallied 9317 votes, or 42 percent.
In the 2008 general election, Ms Parata ran against Winnie Laban, who held the seat with a 6155 majority. Ms Laban won 53 percent of the vote to Ms Parata's 35.
The gap has closed from 18 points in 2008 to 5 points on Saturday.
Mr Key today said that he saw Ms Parata's result as a win.
"I think what it shows is that, sure the Government has plenty of work to do, but Phil Goff argued this would be a referendum on the Government's policies, well if you take the Mana by-election, you can say that by and large the Government's policies are being supported by the people," he told TVNZ's Breakfast programme today.
Mr Key said he thought Ms Parata could make further gains in the next general election, although the Mana seat would prove difficult to win -- "no one is underestimating that".
Labour leader Mr Goff said his party's win in the by-election was solid and he was not interested in criticism over the reduced majority achieved by Mr Faafoi.
"We got 47 percent of the vote which was 2 or 3 points higher than the percentage of the party votes we got in 2008.
"That was a good result for us and for Kris, he was taking over as a first time unknown candidate from somebody who was a legend in the Mana electorate, Winnie Laban. That 47 percent lived up to our expectations and we were thrilled with it."
Mr Goff dismissed Mr Key's comments by saying, "that's just straight political spin and he celebrates his loss at the by-election. I hope he'll celebrate his loss next year in the same way".
Mr Faafoi, a former political reporter who was Labour leader Phil Goff's chief press secretary, over the weekend was ecstatic with the result.
"I'm relieved it's over and I can get on with the work of being MP for Mana," he told NZPA.
Ms Parata said it gave her a strong platform to fight again on.
"I'm just absolutely, really, really delighted with the result we've achieved."
Mr Key reiterated today Ms Parata would be one of the candidates to pick up vacant portfolios following the resignation of Pansy Wong from Cabinet.
However, he said the vacant portfolios had been far from his mind in the wake of the Pike River Coal mining explosion.