It's political party conference season and I'm having a gala weekend of it. Last night I sat in on the fascinating start of the Maori Party conference at Omahu Marae, about 10km from Hastings. Today I'm driving across to Taupo to the New Zealand First conference - Napier to Taupo is one of the few NZ roads I've never done. And next weekend is the Labour Party conference in Auckland.
The hospitality of the Omahu Marae was great. The media who worked through dinner were taken out the back later to have dinner with the cooks who were preparing for the wine and cheese later. We had stew, spuds and pumpkin, bread and butter, followed by a locally famous steamed pudding, custard and cream. I haven't eaten so well since my last visit to the Green Parrot on Tuesday.
Te Ururoa Flavell, the Maori Party's low-profile MP ran the show. He was great, even though I couldn't understand a word he said, introducing each speaker with great humour and showmanship. When Pita Sharples spoke at great length in Maori, Te Ururoa came and sat between me and the RNZ reporter to translate. Pita was talking about his embarrassment at Te Aute College at not being able to speak Maori and then his fear of taking Maori at Auckland University for fear of failing. Te Ururoa was my pick for best maiden speech in 2005 (I did understand that one) among the swag of newcomers in that election. He is not a household name like his colleagues Tariana Turia, Pita Sharples and Hone Harawira but he is impressive. Turia referred to him affectionately last night as "Mr Goodie two-shoes" for his attention to detail. It was a good conference start. They looked like a team and they behaved like a team.
The much respected Maori Party president, Professor Whatarangi Winiata, in his speech confirmed what we all knew - that Maori Party MPs make an awful lot of speeches in Parliament. The parliamentary library has been compiling some stats for them on speech-making and voting patterns. Since the 2005 election the four Maori Party MPs have delivered 387 speeches, an average of 97 each. he said it compared with 30 on average for other MPs of Maori ancestry - though it must be said that six of the others are ministers or associate ministers whose priorities cannot be making speeches on every which bill they want.
More fascinating was the Maori Party voting pattern and comparisons with other parties. The library research concluded that in votes on bills in the current Parliament, the Maori Party voted 108 times the same as the Greens and 55 times differently; compared with Labour it voted 89 times the same as Labour and 80 times differently; and compared to National it voted 55 times the same and 112 times differently.
