Poorest party in Parliament pays to create content to boost Government’s Māori electoral campaign

Te Pāti Māori has been creating digital content calling on whānau to switch to the Māori roll because it says the government department charged with pushing this message “is not doing a good enough job”.

“We are the most pohara [broke] party in politics, yet we have to create these digital messages for our people, because the department paid to push the Māori electoral change message is not,” Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said.

The Electoral Commission - tasked with overseeing the Māori Electoral option - sent out information packs to 512,000 enrolled voters who say they are of Māori whakapapa at the start of the month.

Returns to date have been slow but the Electoral Commission expects to ramp up its campaign over the coming weeks.

Figures released to the Herald today show from March 31, 2023, to April 13, 2023:

* 1936 people have changed roll types – 1185 from the general roll to the Māori roll and 751 from the Māori roll to the general roll.

* There were 201 new enrolments on the Māori roll and 94 new enrolments on the general roll.

* Another 1769 people haven’t changed rolls but had taken the opportunity to update their details on the electoral roll, for example, their address.

* That’s a total of 4000 voters of Māori descent who have changed rolls, enrolled for the first time, or updated their details, between March 31 and April 13.

Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Māori Party co-leaders. Photo / Whakaata Māori

Māori already on the Māori electoral roll and wishing to remain there do not have to reply, but Māori on the general roll wanting to switch can send back a signed consent form or do it online.

Te Pāti Māori have created Tik Toks and text messaging.

“This is a very important message for Māori to consider, and this is not about the October election or the candidates in front of whānau now,” Ngarewa-Packer said.

“We must awaken our people that this change to the Electoral Act is what our tupuna fought for - a chance at equality in our own country.”

Whānau have up to July 13, 2023 to switch to the Māori roll - “or heaven forbid back to the general roll” - before this year’s October General Election.

A recent law change allows Māori to change between the Māori and general rolls at any time, except in the three months before an election. Previously Māori could only change rolls during the Māori Electoral Option period held every 5 or 6 years.

Ngarewa-Packer said now that the “shackles of racism” have been broken, it’s time for Māori to step up.

“We must use our collective power to bring back a rebalance of power in our nation, that has put up a lot of barriers,” Ngarewa-Packer said.

“This has to be us pushing back against the powers of racism. This is one of those opportunities and we must look at the bigger picture.”

The Electoral Commission spokesperson said they would not comment on the Te Pāti Māori claims.