By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter
The launch of a supposedly neutral Maori option campaign at Parliament yesterday was laced with the strong message that more Maori must enrol on the Maori roll to boost the number of Maori seats.
The option is exercised every five years and gives Maori voters the choice of going on the general or Maori roll.
Master of ceremonies Archie Taiaroa, chairman of the Whanganui River Maori Trust Board, told the gathering they knew what the choice was. "Just look in the mirror to see."
His trust is one of those contracted with the National Enrolment Centre to help with enrolments.
He had told his board that if they did not register on the Maori roll then they did not deserve any of the benefits that came of being a Maori.
Mr Taiaroa said Maori ought to be able to boost the number of seats.
The number of Maori electorate seats will increase from six to seven if about 2400 voters switch from the general to the Maori roll.
"We should be able to do that," he told about 70 invited guests and MPs.
There would be eight Maori electorate seats if about 26,700 Maori voters switched from the general to the Maori roll.
Green MP Rod Donald plans to complain to Associate Justice Minister Margaret Wilson, who launched the campaign in neutral terms, about Mr Taiaroa's comments.
"The Maori option is meant to be a neutral process to encourage Maori to first enrol and second to choose which roll to go on. Archie Taiaroa was clearly directing Maori to go on the Maori roll." There were two sides to the issue, he said. Going on the Maori roll would increase the number of seats.
"On the other hand staying on the Maori roll keeps a number of constituency MPs in place, such as Tony Ryall [National Bay of Plenty MP]."
Wellington lawyer Donna Hall said Maori should be able to enrol outside the electorate they live in and register in the electorate of their home marae.
Donna Hall lives in Wellington and is enrolled in Te Tai Tonga but would like to enrol in Waiariki, which covers her home marae near Rotorua.
Labour MP Georgina Beyer said she was perhaps the only MP who had not been able to vote for herself because while she was on the Maori roll, she stood and won the general seat of Wairarapa.
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