Leadership change should revitalise the Maori Party

There's been a lot said over the years about the survival of a kaupapa Maori party in Parliament.

When I left Labour in 2004 the media predicted I wouldn't get voted in again as an independent or as a candidate for the newly formed Maori Party. How wrong they were.

I left Labour over the Foreshore and Seabed legislation because it took away our rights to go to court to test our customary rights. Maori were outraged and they marched to Parliament. The media predicted that on my departure from Labour I would have no allies in Parliament, no support and would be very lonely. Former PM Helen Clark infamously promised that the party would be the last cab off the rank in terms of any post-election negotiations to form a government.

Many believed an independent Maori voice in Parliament would never be achievable. Even then, with the absolute swell of Maori support against the legislation and eventually for an independent Maori voice in Parliament, the punters tried to write us off saying we would not last long.

Politics is not an easy business. There are wins and gains, there are compromises and losses. When we started in Parliament we operated on a kaupapa Maori. We spoke on every bill before the House. We formulated and developed our policies based on advice, discussion and debate and always on tikanga and what was good for our people, for all people. We battered the winds of disapproval that sometimes came at us from all quarters.

But what kept us going was at every hui we held, there was an absolute support for a tikanga- based Maori party to take us forward - to restore and ensure our rights - to get us out of dependency - to return self-determination to our whanau - to grow healthy families and to make a government accountable to the people for its services and to make it understand the goals and aspirations of our people. That's what our people wanted. That is why our party was formed.

When we agreed to a coalition with the National Government we knew it wouldn't be easy. Many accused us of developing a relationship that was 'too close', whatever that means. We regard our relationship with National as cordial. Yes there are personal friendships among our MPs and many from other parties in Parliament as well. But our working relationship with National began as a confidence and supply agreement in 2008. We had an overwhelming positive response to go into this agreement in 2008 because it enabled us to develop Whanau Ora - an approach that has been embraced whole heartedly by our communities and that is not only restoring self determination to our people - but also changing the way services work with communities. It is revolutionary and life- changing.

We reached agreement with National to retain the Maori seats when there was a real threat to abolish them and we also reached agreement to repeal the Foreshore and Seabed Legislation.

When Hone Harawira left our party in 2009 the media predicted this was the end of the party and we wouldn't survive. When we lost Te Tai Tonga in 2011, again they predicted we wouldn't survive. But we did and we continued to work in government to make a difference for our people. In 2011 we signed a relationship accord which allocated funding to review our constitutional arrangements including the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi - it also committed to continue the tobacco reform I'd introduced in 2010 to rid this country of a product that kills 5000 people a year - we were able to gain funding that allowed the continual development of a Maori language strategy, that enabled us to address poverty and to provide more opportunities for education and training. We could not have achieved this without being in government.

With a change of leadership we look forward to revitalising the party and to grow our kaupapa. Much has been made of our ages - that we did not appeal to younger voters and now - much is being made of the change of leadership saying that there is now no stability. It seems the scrutiny will not go away - but - neither will the Maori Party. We will keep going - because in the end there is the future of our people at stake. This kaupapa is too important to walk away simply because others want us to. We know, too, that so many of our people have endured seemingly relentless hardship, endless challenges, days of despair. And yet no matter how hard the road they walk, they don't give up on their whanau - they believe in hope, in faith and in endurance. We learn from their inspiration, and we know that walking away is not an option.

The Maori Party is dedicated towards our greatest task as a nation - to learn to live together well and we believe our kaupapa and our tikanga provide us with all the guidance we need to move into the future.