Turia bangs drum for a big turnout

By RUTH BERRY

"Who is going to do the karanga?" a woman whispers a little belatedly as Tariana Turia and entourage make their way into the Muaupoko Tribal Authority in Levin.

"Don't worry about it, she's been here before," replies a man at her side.

It is in fact Mrs Turia's third visit to the authority during the six weeks she has been campaigning for Te Tai Hauauru byelection.

She's really come back this time to thank everybody, she says, at the same time expressing relief there are new faces in the 15-strong group.

Mrs Turia doesn't say so, but leaves the impression she is a little worried about imposing herself on the goodwill of locals, again.

With only three more meetings planned before the byelection the campaign is starting to wind down.

She is "buggered" and still annoyed Labour "insulted" the electorate by denying her a battle, rendering the byelection largely invisible and making the job of energising voters much harder.

News of the promotions of the Labour Maori electorate MPs who supported the foreshore bill has recently filtered through.

But as the group - Mrs Turia with constant companions her husband, George, and former ministerial policy adviser Helen Leahy - settles around a table there is little sense of weariness.

The mainly middle-aged locals are more than keen to talk and Mrs Turia intersperses her answers with a vigorous campaign pitch.

The scenario is similar after lunch where they hold another "cottage meeting" at Rosie's Cafe on State Highway 1 in Foxton, one of Mr Turia's favourite breakfast stops.

A primary target is the Chief Electoral Office which says it has achieved a balance between meeting the electorate's needs and not wasting taxpayers' money by settling on 100 polling booths for Saturday.

In the 2002 general election there were 400 booths in the electorate which also covered or partially covered nine general seats.

But Mrs Turia has discovered more than 6000 of the 10,002 votes cast for her last election were in booths that won't be open this Saturday

It's deliberate discrimination, she believes, and highlights the need for people to keep fellow voters informed and encouraged to vote.

"If you don't vote, Labour will see it as us not having the support of the people. This is probably the last opportunity for [the birth of] a Maori political movement."

To nods, she recounts the stories people have told of "their dads, their koro" telling them to vote Labour.

Others are worried about whether the party can hold on to kotahitangi [unity]. Both obstacles can be overcome, she says.

Labour pamphlets highlighting what says it has done for Maori come in for criticism, especially its claim to have put more Maori into tertiary education when it is the wananga who should claim the credit.

National's lock 'em up law and order policy also gets a serve.

Firm policies remain a way off and Mrs Turia handles sticky questions as cleverly and as smoothly as she did in Parliament.

Peter Heremaia wants to know about Maori Parliament movements.

"Where I come from tribes only believe in sovereignty within their own rohe [area]," Mrs Turia answers.

Concerns about Asian immigration are answered with a belief in a need for more apprentices. Everyone agrees. Mrs Turia has a certain touch.

Of that, long-time National voter Kit Perewiti has no doubt. "The time has arrived for Maori people to not be shy, to say we are all here, but we have our way."

She'll be at the official Maori Party launch in Wanganui on Saturday and at the hui the next day - and so, it appears will most of the others. They've still got an appetite for more.