Labour in driving seat to retain Maori electorates

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

All of Labour's sitting Maori MPs will sweep back into Parliament with healthy majorities, judging by a Marae-DigiPoll survey issued yesterday.

Just over 60 per cent of Maori voters will give their party vote to Labour. The Greens, standing in only one Maori seat, are the second-most popular party and New Zealand First, standing in none, are third-most popular.

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia has 77 per cent support in the eastern Ikaroa Rawhiti electorate, which he won by 695 votes in 1999 against independent Derek Fox.

Mr Horomia's nearest rival this time has 3 per cent support.

Mr Fox was appointed by the Government to set up the Maori Television Service and has decided not to launch a Maori party this election as promised, or to stand.

The best showing in the poll for a non-Labour candidate is the Alliance MP Willie Jackson, who has 17 per cent support in Tainui where he is trying to unseat Nanaia Mahuta.

But she still has a healthy 53 per cent support.

List MP Tariana Turia, who is standing in an electorate for the first time, has a huge lead of 60 per cent over her nearest rival, Mana Maori's Ken Mair (9 per cent).

Former Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels is polling lowest of the sitting MPs with only 44 per cent in Te Tai Tokerau. But that electorate has a huge 29 per cent undecided.

In that seat last time, 15.9 per cent of the vote went to the New Zealand First candidate, and 15.3 per cent went to Tau Henare, then Mauri Pacific leader.

Labour is expected to take the lion's share of the party vote among Maori voters, with 60.2 per cent support, according to the survey.

The Greens are polling second with 12 .1 per cent, New Zealand First next with 10.8 per cent, National on 7.7 per cent, and Mana Maori on 3.4 per cent.

The Greens are standing in only one Maori electorate, the Auckland city seat of Tamaki Makaurau. Its candidate, Metiria Turei, is No 8 on the list and is assured of a list seat if the party's nationwide polling is reflected in votes.

Asked if they wanted to see a majority Government, 50.8 per cent of respondents said yes and 40.3 per cent said no.

Asked if the moratorium on release of genetically modified organisms should be extended beyond October next year, 66.9 per cent said yes and 21.3 per cent said no.

Asked if genetic modification would decide how they voted, 42.6 per cent said yes and 50.1 per cent said no.

The margin of error on the non-electorate questions is 2 per cent.

The poll of 2302 Maori voters, including 655 who are on the general roll, was conducted between July 6 and July 17.

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