Labour MP Tangaere-Manuel criticises bill banning food at voting places, cites manaaki

Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Labour MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel says marae should be able to offer manaaki in the form of food and drink to voters on election day.

Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Labour MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel says the “treating” clause of the Electoral Amendment Bill prohibiting food and drink at voting places violates the manaaki of iwi and hapū at marae voting sites.

The clause prohibits the provision of food, drink or entertainment within 100 metres of a voting place.

“Offenders” are liable to a fine of up to $10,000.

“Treating” is the action of influencing a voter and is already an offence, but the Government says the legislative aim is to avoid confusion over what constitutes “treating”.

Tangaere-Manuel told the Gisborne Herald Labour “had no qualms” over the prohibition on treating, but it should not apply when marae or schools wanted to “put on a cup of tea”.

There were queues at Ruatōria during the last election, the MP said.

“You want to look after your old people. If marae want to provide a cup of tea – that’s manaaki [hospitality/nurturing/caring]. It should be up to them – that’s manaaki.”

A spokesman for Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed the treating clause would apply to “all voting places, including any voting places on marae, while voting is taking place”.

Tangaere-Manuel is also critical of other matters in the bill, such as the elimination of election-day voting and the closing of enrolment before advance voting begins – or 13 days before election day.

The Government says the changes will allow votes to be counted quicker.

Tangaere-Manuel said the number of votes cast in her electorate increased by 1315 from the 2020 election to the 2023 election, although voter turnout was still low at 67%.

“That increase of 1315 voters, I know, partially came from first-time voters enrolling on the day, as they should have the right to do,“ Tangaere-Manuel said in Parliament last week.

“Voter apathy is very real in our communities and walking through that door is hard enough for a lot of whānau, who potentially have saved up their gas money to be able to do it on the day.”

Tangaere-Manuel said putting up barriers to voting was not needed.

The Government could not claim to be the Government of all people when Act leader (and Deputy Prime Minister) David Seymour had referred to people who enrolled late as “lazy dropkicks”.

Tangaere-Manuel said she wanted to commend those people who had put themselves forward for the local body elections, “especially when we still have a lot of recovery to do”.

She supported the retention of Gisborne District Council’s Māori ward, which will be retained or abolished depending on the result of a binding referendum to be held in conjunction with the local body election.

Election day is October 11.

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