Maori Party lays down foundations

The Maori Party is set to finally sign off its constitution today, clearing the way for candidates to be selected just before Waitangi Day.

The party is holding its annual general meeting at West Auckland's Hoani Waititi Marae this weekend.

The constitution will state that from the date of its enactment, a two-month process must be undertaken before a final selection is made.

This means candidates can be confirmed from late January and there is speculation that at least some announcements may be timed to coincide with Waitangi Day.

The only confirmed candidates so far are co-leaders Tariana Turia in Tai Hauauru and Pita Sharples in Tamaki Makaurau.

Mrs Turia's by-election in her seat marked the birth of the party in Parliament, while Mr Sharples was selected early in case a byelection was held in incumbent MP John Tamihere's Tamaki Makaurau seat.

The conference is likely to begin on a high note, after the release of a Marae Digipoll last Sunday showing the party would take five of the seven Maori electorates if an election had been held then.

Only the Tamaki Makaurau seat and Nanaia Mahuta's Tainui seat would be retained by Labour, according to the poll.

With the foreshore and seabed legislation behind it, Labour will be hoping to recover some Maori support with the passing of its aquaculture legislation, designating a slice of marine farming space to iwi, before Christmas.

However, its plans to introduce legislation increasing walking access to waterways and to build up the Queen's Chain, will create friction with some Maori groups concerned - as is Federated Farmers - that the move will erode property rights.

The Federation of Maori Authorities this week predicted the legislation would provoke civil unrest.

Mrs Turia will be working hard to keep the memory of the foreshore alive. She said this week it had acted as a "dramatic marker of our recent political landscape".

It had swept the"winds of change" through Aotearoa and "tangata whenua are turning from the version of politics being played out in Wellington".

The party's first steps had been carefully planned, she said.

"We have not wanted to take off running and risking falling over. Our intention has been to develop a secure footing from which to consciously, deliberately, purposefully walk forwards."

Draft policy ideas will be discussed behind closed doors in workshops at the conference today.

Mr Sharples said yesterday the focus would be on education, health, justice and issues around nationhood and the Treaty of Waitangi.