Maori Party 'biggest in the country'

Soaring membership numbers have seen the Maori Party claim to be the largest political party in New Zealand.

It claims that its hard work at grassroots level walking the streets, talking to people and helping enrol potential voters for this year's election has helped boost its membership numbers to nearly 17,000.

Deputy leader and Tamaki Makaurau candidate Pita Sharples says the party now has the biggest membership in New Zealand.

He sounded a warning to other parties that while the Maori Party may not have much money, "we have the troops and the drive to succeed".

Auckland University politics expert Raymond Miller said if the figures were correct, "and I'd be prepared to take them at their word", then Dr Sharples was probably right in his claim.

Dr Miller, who has just published a book on New Zealand political parties and membership statistics, estimates there are about 50,000 people nationally who are fully paid-up members of any political party.

Labour's individual membership is believed to be just over 10,000, but union affiliates boost this number.

National's membership has surged in recent times and is believed to be much higher, but neither party will publicly confirm its figures.

Dr Miller said big parties were not so concerned about membership anymore as they relied more on corporate and private donations than fees.

"Often they use their email lists as their support base but these people are usually not paid-up members of the party."

He said smaller parties were more forthcoming about their membership numbers. The Greens claimed 3000 members, Act just under 3000 and the Progressives about 2000, before the 2002 election.

He has estimated about 2.4 per cent of voters in New Zealand are members of political parties - a sharp fall from a peak of 26 per cent. Only Australian and British voters have lower levels.

Dr Miller said the trend fitted with falling church numbers, fewer sports club affiliations and a lack of volunteers for community organisations.

"It's partly to do with how individualistic our society is becoming."

The Maori Party's membership results were "impressive", he said.

Dr Sharples said the party was door-knocking in all its electorates to get many "politically passive" Maori ready to vote in this year's election.

"We meet people and ask them what they would like changed, and if we can count on their vote. If they are Labour supporters, we don't argue, we leave it at that."

Auckland University elections expert Professor Jack Vowles said bigger parties no longer seemed to use such tactics.

"They just don't have enough members anymore who will do this work, so just have to hope enrolment centres are doing their job," he said.

Murray Wicks, Electoral Enrolment Centre national manager, said while there had been instances of fraudulent enrolments in past elections, none had been detected so far this year.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY