Maori Party targets expats in Australia

Thousands of Maori voters living in Australia are being targeted by the Maori Party to help it win the Te Tai Tokerau seat and the other six Maori electorates at this year's election.

Maori Party co-leaders Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia plan to visit Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney next month and in June to try to cement the votes of 70,000 Maori.

The party is convinced its Te Tai Tokerau candidate, Hone Harawira, will sweep out Labour's Dover Samuels by a "huge majority".

Dr Sharples said support for the party in Australia was so strong, branches had been set up. He said 70,000 Maori were living "across the ditch", but he was not sure how many of them were from Te Tai Tokerau.

"That's a lot of votes," he said.

Maori living in Australia felt compelled to support the party as their isolation made the pain of being "betrayed", through the Foreshore and Seabed Bill, "twice as bad", he said.

Last July, Mrs Turia left the Labour Party because of legislation which placed the foreshore and seabed in Crown ownership. She formed the Maori Party after resigning from Labour.

Dr Sharples said that as the election loomed closer - it must be held by late September - meeting Maori voters face to face was the party's key campaign strategy.

Mr Harawira kicks off a six-month speaking tour on Sunday.

"We're poor [the party]. We can't counteract [Labour's increased Maori electorate campaign] in money but we have the troops on the ground," he said.

"It's my belief that the media and the major parties have underestimated the damage the foreshore and seabed legislation has done to Maori self-worth and support for Labour."

Within New Zealand, Dr Sharples and Mrs Turia will speak in towns and cities. On his own, Dr Sharples plans to knock on the door of everyone enrolled on the Maori roll in his Tamaki Makaurau [Auckland] electorate.

As for a long-awaited party policy release, Dr Sharples said it had been finalised and he expected it to be "drip- fed".

A Maori Party council meeting was held in the Waikato at the weekend to decide how to release it, he said.

While he would not go into policy in detail, he said there would be an increase in Maori education programmes because they were important to Maori identity.

Dr Sharples said the party had been concentrating on finalising candidates for the seven Maori seats.

They also include: Te Ururoa Flavell for Waiariki, Angeline Greensill for Tainui, Atareta Poananga for Ikaroa Rawhiti, Mrs Turia for Te Tai Hauauru and Monte Ohia for Te Tai Tonga.

Dr Sharples was confident the party would gain all seven seats.

There was also a possibility of taking about 12 general high Maori-population seats the party planned to stand in, including Rotorua and Manurewa in Auckland.

Mr Samuels could not be reached for comment.

- NZPA