Maori seats

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Māori politics – “don’t believe the hype”

Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, January 24th, 2017 - 81 comments

Totally unexpected in an election year, but Te Ururoa Flavell is making a play for the Māori seats. Morgan Godfery has some thoughts on the hype.

He isn’t a racist because his ex wife is from Singapore

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, September 30th, 2016 - 139 comments

Don Brash and a group of other predominately privileged white males are complaining that Maori may also be receiving some privilege.

Racism, middle NZ and Māori

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, August 22nd, 2016 - 141 comments

In seeking to understand and remedy racism in NZ we should start with the actions of governments and leaders, not with the words of blowhard media constructs.

Hone Harawira is getting the band back together

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 20th, 2016 - 54 comments

It’s useful with controversial politicians to hear what they actually say, and in context too. Here’s Harawira in his own words.

Mana 2.0

Written By: - Date published: 12:41 pm, June 19th, 2016 - 255 comments

Hone’s back! The leader of the Mana party has announced he’s re-forming the Mana Movement and will stand again in Te Tai Tokerau. Is there a chance of a deal with Labour to strengthen the next Government?

Ratana – LIVE

Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, January 24th, 2016 - 46 comments

Te Reo Putake is live blogging the visits of politicians to Rātana pā during the weekend celebration of the life of church founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana. The shadow of the TPPA hangs over the weekend; how will our political leaders address this latest attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

Maori support for Labour

Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, October 1st, 2014 - 56 comments

One of the few bright spots for Labour in the election was the renewed support of Maori. What now for the Maori Party?

Seat watch – Te Tai Tokerau

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 pm, September 20th, 2014 - 65 comments

Will Hone hang on and bring in Internet Mana MPs with him?  The polls suggest that the race with Kelvin Davis is neck and neck although Hone has this habit of doing far better than the landline polls would suggest. Updated: Kelvin Davis ahead but it was won by specials last time.

Marama Davidson: candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, May 17th, 2014 - 40 comments

Marama Davidson, is on the Green Party list & is a candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat.  Davidson is a really promising up-coming politician.  She is committed to working for people, communities, the environment, democratic process, & strongly supports wahine, Māori & young people.

Stepping up: new energy from Kelvin Davis

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, April 23rd, 2014 - 115 comments

Labour has swung positively behind the change from Jones to Kelvin Davis.  In his interview on TV3’s First Line this morning, Davis was confident, down-to-earth, & energetic. Hone Harawira & Davis are strong candidates for Te Tai Tokerau and those struggling on low incomes. Both would be assets for a Labour-led government.

Polity: Turnout in the referendum

Written By: - Date published: 3:57 pm, December 16th, 2013 - 72 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity has had a look at the effectiveness of National’s deliberate strategy to discriminate against Maori and Pasifika in the asset sales referendum. National chose a postal ballot for the referendum knowing it would disproportionately disenfranchise Maori and Pasifika communities. I hope they’re proud of themselves. Here is a chart of turnout […]

Maori Party finished?

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, July 1st, 2013 - 83 comments

Gotta love the reporting of the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by election. This was a boring, predictable win for Labour, a big upset win for Mana, and probably the death knell of the Maori Party.

Update: Native Affairs has unconfirmed reports that Sharples has stood down as leader of the Maori Party.

Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election round-up

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, June 28th, 2013 - 15 comments

Four contenders with excellent track records. Some important issues for the electorate have been highlighted, especially related to poverty, jobs, education, and affordable housing. Some commentators claim tomorrow’s by-election will be a test of this or that party’s strength.[update: RNZ interviews]

Selection and election

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 pm, May 26th, 2013 - 3 comments

I’ve always been in favour of contested selection for parliamentary candidates. Being a Member of Parliament requires commitment, energy and above all a robust mental and physical constitution – clear values and strong bodies.When Parekura Horomia was selected in 1998 there were a little over 20 Labour party members in the electorate. This time its different. Media reports have party membership at 850, and the three selection meetings in the huge electorate attracted 180 in the Hutt, 110 in Tolaga Bay, and 430 in Napier. That’s the base from which Meka Whaitiri, Labour’s chosen candidate comes.

High interest in Ikaroa-Rawhiti

Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, May 23rd, 2013 - 22 comments

Labour will hold three selection meetings in the very large electorate, in Seaview, in Tolaga Bay, and the final one in Napier on Sunday. Labour has a very strong slate of six high-calibre candidates. New members are flocking to the party, and with over 500 electorate members having a say this time the meetings will be full on as well as full. All Party members can attend; anyone can register to get the result.

King, wtf?

Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, February 4th, 2013 - 52 comments

Garner has revealed that 63% of Maori Labour voters don’t know who the leader is. King responds by asking if they know who the PM is. Now, I’m no MP with 25 years’ experience but I reckon  it’s pretty obvious that trying to deflect from a poll showing lack of profile of your leader in a key demographic by implying that Maori are just ignorant isn’t smart.

Annette Sykes: a future MP?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, January 25th, 2013 - 23 comments

Mana Party president, Annette Sykes could become an MP in the next election.  The future of the Maori Party is in doubt.  Hone Harawira is considering a Mana-Maori Party merger.  Sykes is committed to left wing values, social justice, Maori land & water rights, and social & economic justice for Maori.

Let it go Pita

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, January 24th, 2013 - 10 comments

Pita Sharples should step down as a leader of the Maori Party and let someone else have a go. A merger with Mana seems to offer the most viable way forward, but the possibility has prompted a hysterical reaction from the outgoing Turia.

The slow decline of the Maori Party

Written By: - Date published: 1:25 pm, October 28th, 2012 - 22 comments

In my opinion the MP signed their own death warrant when they allowed the split with Mana to happen. Coverage arising from their Conference paints a picture of a party in terminal decline.

Congratulations Hone Harawira, MP for Te Tai Tokerau

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 pm, June 25th, 2011 - 165 comments

Hone Harawira has won the by-election for Te Tai Tokerau, despite the best efforts of the msm, John Key’s endorsement of Kelvin Davis, dirty tricks from the Maori Party, and despite Labour’s typically ill-considered, hamfisted attempts to wipe out Mana at its first election.

The best man won.

Weaving the magic

Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, June 12th, 2011 - 19 comments

Watch Kelvin Davis on Q+A with Hone Harawira. He was superb. He says the message he is giving about being part of the future for Maori is resonating around the Tai Tokerau. I’ll bet it is. The by-election result could be very interesting indeed. I liked his take on leadership too – it’s about being focussed on the objective and doing what is necessary to achieve it. Couldn’t agree more.

Pita’s poll: Maori Party death-rattle?

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, April 2nd, 2011 - 38 comments

A new Horizon poll suggests that Pita Sharples’ majority in Tamaki Makaurau has been slashed by 80% and he could be overtaken by Labour’s Shane Jones. There’s a bit of scuttlebutt that Willie Jackson might run for Hone’s new Left/Maori Party (if it gets off the ground). In that case, expect a real three-way race, which Sharples would almost certainly lose.

Hone and the lawyers

Written By: - Date published: 5:45 pm, January 27th, 2011 - 21 comments

The Maori Party has budgeted $22,000 for legal advice regarding the complaint made against Hone Harawira for stating the obvious, and hired Mai Chen to boot, to coin a phrase. Chen has pointed to the decision in Peters v Collinge where Justice Fisher stated that disciplinary matters were political issues and all that was required […]

Maori seats for Auckland?

Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, November 16th, 2010 - 8 comments

National’s handling of the Auckland SuperCity process was profoundly undemocratic in a multitude of ways.  Thank goodness, and the common sense of Aucklanders, that a “Labour Mayor from South Auckland” was elected to sort out at least some of the resulting mess.  Len Brown has pledged to hold talks on dedicated Maori seats on the Council.  It’s great to see that Brown is open to correcting National’s injustice on this matter.

Hone stands by principles on foreshore

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, September 14th, 2010 - 52 comments

Stuff is reporting that Hone Harawira will not vote for the Nats’ foreshore and seabed legislation. And John Key is clearly upset. Sounds like someone needs the whambulance. Key’s just lost the ability to claim that he has genuinely circled the square, giving Pakeha and Maori both what they want. All he has really done is bought off the Maori Party leadership.

Can we save the Maori Party?

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, April 21st, 2010 - 125 comments

Rodney Hide was furious at John Key for signing the Declaration of Indigenous Rights behind his back but he’ll get over it. ACT is getting tonnes of real policy wins. What’s disturbing is seeing the Maori Party celebrating a ‘win’ then meekly rolling over when Key tells them it’s meaningless. Why does this keep happening? Because the Maori Party is stuck. And, sadly, each loss just mires them further.

One person one vote

Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, March 24th, 2010 - 14 comments

Pita Sharples’ speech on race relations day, and his comments that followed, certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons. Did Sharples really mean to suggest that we should do away with “one person one vote”? I don’t think so…

Nats offer Maori flags & baubles, not representation & jobs

Written By: - Date published: 11:13 pm, December 15th, 2009 - 12 comments

NZPA: The Maori Party has withdrawn its support for a government bill after its bid to have Maori members on polytechnic councils failed. The Maori Party put up an amendment which would have ensured that councils had at least three Maori members. The Government didn’t accept the amendment and it was defeated. The Maori Party […]

The bigots beneath

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, September 17th, 2009 - 39 comments

Last night, Sandra Goudie, the big-mouth of the National Party caucus, said the words out loud that the Nats usually keep in their heads. During the debate on the Supercity, one of the Labour MPs was talking about the success of Maori seats in the Bay of Plenty and how other councillors didn’t object. Goudie […]

How big is an uprising?

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, September 10th, 2009 - 12 comments

There was an odd little piece in The Herald on Tuesday: Uprising would force Super City changes: PM Prime Minister John Key says the Government will back down on the new Super City boundaries for Rodney and Franklin if there is enough of a community uprising. Mr Key said he would be happy to overrule […]

If you believe in it, put something on the line

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 54 comments

It’s a strange day when you’re praising Tau Henare. But at least he’s standing up for Maori seats, unlike the pathetic display from Pita Sharples. Henare’s email brought to public attention Hide’s bullying threat to resign over the seats. Today, he kept up the fight having a go at Hide for his wag the dog tactics […]