Momentum with us: Tamihere

WELLINGTON: Maori Party coleader John Tamihere says if his party was given a week longer to campaign, the numbers at the poll would tell a different story.

The Maori Party was swept out of Parliament in 2017, leaving the legislature without a party focused on Maori issues.

Coleader John Tamihere said his party was one of the few voter cohorts running against the herd.

‘‘If you look at the polls, undecided voters in significant numbers are going to make up the difference in up to five seats so you can’t rule any of those five out, 48 hours out.’’

If there was another week of campaigning, his party would be doing better in those seats, he said.

‘‘The momentum in a number of our seats is heading towards Maori Party candidates, no doubt about that. The extent of that momentum we’ll know [at] 7pm on Saturday.’’

The Labour Party would win the party vote by a landslide, he said.

‘‘We’re running against that.’’ The Maori Party is promising to halt all immigration into New Zealand until housing supply catches up with demand, if it becomes part of the next government.

‘‘It’s about time this country put indigenous people first for a change, for a period until they can house our own people first,’’ Mr Tamihere said.

Maori who had criticised the policy on social media were privileged and earning over $100,000 a year, he said.

‘‘Maori[Party]’s not in business for those Maori. We’re in business to lift those 7 out of 10 Maori who earn under $40,000 a year to become more positive and progressive.’’ — RNZ