By VERNON SMALL deputy political editor
Mana Motuhake has dumped Conservation Minister Sandra Lee as leader and replaced her with backbencher Willie Jackson as it moves to fight off a rival party planned by former broadcaster Derek Fox.
Mr Jackson won the leadership by 109 votes to 35 at a hui-a-tau (annual
meeting) after widespread concern about the party's low profile in the Alliance and Ms Lee's inability to promote its image from within the cabinet.
"Mana Motuhake has been invisible," Mr Jackson said after the weekend meeting. "Perhaps she was too constrained in cabinet, but she doesn't seem to talk as Mana Motuhake.
"Where and when did she ever talk about Mana Motuhake? That's what our members are saying and that's what I believe."
He said Parliament already had a Maori party, but its low profile had left an open target for Mr Fox.
Mr Jackson was passed over as a candidate for the 1996 general election in favour of former Mana Motuhake MP Alamein Kopu, who had the support of Ms Lee.
Mr Jackson said yesterday that his party owed the Alliance an apology over Alamein Kopu, who quit the Alliance and backed the National Government between 1996 and 1999.
Mana Motuhake has also dumped most of its 12-member executive in favour of a new seven-person team.
Ms Lee said her duties as deputy Alliance leader and as a cabinet minister had left much less time for party work. She had decided not to withdraw from the leadership ballot after requests from kaumatua.
She remained committed to working for the Alliance and Mana Motuhake.
