The Māori Party defied the odds because Labour has left Indigenous voters wanting | Leigh-Marama McLachlan

Mori are calling for much-needed systemic change - but the question is whether Labour is willing to deliver it

It was one of the most gripping showdowns of Saturday night's election - the Mori Party's Rawiri Waititi and Labour's Tamati Coffey were neck-and-neck until the end.

Counting on the night put Waititi ahead by a narrow 415 votes, but the final result will come down to the remaining half a million special votes" yet to be counted.