National Party candidates Hinurewa Te Hau (Tāmaki Makaurau) and Harete Hipango (Te Tai Hauāuru). Photo / Michael Neilson
National Party candidates Hinurewa Te Hau (Tāmaki Makaurau) and Harete Hipango (Te Tai Hauāuru). Photo / Michael Neilson
National wāhine Maori MPs Harete Hipango and Hinurewa Te Pou have come out fighting for their party, setting the record straight on what they have already achieved for Māori.
According to WaateaNews.com, National, which launched its Māori seats campaign and the candidates ahead of its conference in Whānganui-ā-tara this weekend,is keen to advise voters that it has delivered more for Māori than Labour.
Hipango, who is contesting Te Tai Hauauru against Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, said suggestions that National has a poor relationship with Māori was not true.
“Some examples of the party’s recognition of Māori in terms of not just who we are but also our potential and the realisation of that is the Māori women’s welfare league, Māori Wardens, Kohanga Reo, broadcasting, education,” Hipango told WaateaNews.com.
She said under National, Māori have settled a number of Treaty claims.
Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“You have to go back to the early days and what National has done in the time of Sir Doug Graham and Chris Finlayson,” Hipango said.
“It’s been a distorted stereotyping of the National Party and our contribution to Māori communities, but what is good for Māori is good for all New Zealand and Whānau Ora is an exemplar of that.”
National’s mixed messaging appears to have left Māori voters unconvinced, even confused.
Last week leader Christopher Luxon weighed in on the Government’s attempts to address disadvantages faced by Māori in the health system. Luxon claimed the equity assessment tool was promoting racial discrimination. He also says a National government will overturn the Māori Health Authority and that it’s opposed to increased representation for Māori in co-governance arrangements.
The last time the National contested Māori electorates was in 1999. The return of the seats is the result of fierce lobbying from senior MP Judith Collins. She says she’s proud to have pushed for the seats because it’s the right thing to do.
Te Tai Hauauru looks likely to be a tight race with the announcement that Labour’s Soraya Peke Mason is contesting the seat only, which means she has no list-ranking safety net to fall back on if she doesn’t win the election.
Mason is the second Māori MP to run seat-only, with Nanaia Mahuta making the same choice.
