Matthew Hooton and Sue Bradford discuss the Mana and Māori Parties’ joint plan for winning the Māori seats and the latest Colmar Brunton poll.
Sue Bradford and Matthew Hooton. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
This morning the parties announced a kawenata (agreement), that the Māori Party will not stand a candidate in the Tai Tokerau electorate and the Mana Party will not stand candidates in the other six Māori electorates.
Bradford, who has previously been a member of the Mana Party, says many people in Māoridom have been longing for the two parties to come together again.
“I think at its heart people yearn for a strong voice by Māori and for Māori in parliament, outside the control of a Pākehā-dominated party, and ultimately working for tino rangatiratanga.”
Hooten says he views the coming together as a truce, rather than an alliance or a merger, and there is no reason to think that Māori society is homogenous.
“There is huge diversion in the aspirations in the different sections of Māoridom.”
He says that as a result of the deal, Hone Harawira will almost certainly win the Tai Tokerau electorate from Labour’s Kelvin Davis and the Māori Party will win four Māori electorates, but all six could be in play.
Bradford and Hooton also discuss Māori voter turnout, the latest ONE News Colmar Brunton poll, the ‘missing million’ voters and a controversial potential US ambassador to New Zealand.
