Labour's 'one size fits all' don't work for Maori

te-pati-maori

Mon May 04 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Labour's 'one size fits all' don't work for Maori

Monday, 4 May 2009, 11:48 am
Press Release: The Maori Party

Hon Tariana Turia and Hon Dr Pita Sharples
Co-Leaders of the Maori Party

Media
Statement

30 April 2009

Darren Hughes' challenge to increased resources for large electorates shows how Labour's 'one size fits all' approach discriminates against Maori, according to the Maori Party Co-leaders.

"Increased funding for large electorates was recommended in the triennial report to the Parliamentary Services Commission, supported by Labour Speaker Margaret Wilson, endorsed by a multi-party committee which included Labour MPs and, after being pruned back a bit, was approved by Cabinet, " Tariana Turia said.

"The disadvantage to Maori electors is crystal clear. Te Tai Tonga, for example, covers the whole of the South Island plus Wellington city and part of the Hutt Valley. Even with three electorate offices in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, constituents in Invercargill, Marlborough and Nelson, not to mention the West Coast, are literally hours away from personal service.

"The minimal increase, for one modest salary and one office, does little to redress the unfairness, but it is better than nothing, which is what Labour is offering," Mrs Turia said.

"The truth is that it suited Labour for Maori electors to be dependent on help that was delivered through general electorate offices, and that is why they ignored the recommendations of the 2007 review," Dr Pita Sharples said.

"The fact that Maori electors in five out of seven seats decided the Maori Party could represent their interests better than Labour, even without the benefit of Labour's party infrastructure in buddy electorates, is the reason for Darren Hughes' sour grapes.

"If Labour believes this is a serious point of principle, we would expect their MPs in Ikaroa Rawhiti and Hauraki Waikato to decline the extra funding," he said.

"Of course they could also try to win back the Maori seats and get the extra funding for themselves, but there's not much chance of that, given their record on Maori issues," said the co-leaders.

ENDS

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