Maori Party could prove kingmaker, says Tamati
The Maori Party could act as kingmaker in any future government, Taranaki candidate Howie Tamati has said.
Tamati, a former Kiwi rugby league representative who played 24 tests, is standing in the western electorate of Te Tai Hauauru.
He spoke about the party’s election campaign during a tour of his patch with campaign manager Tony Kemp, who played 25 tests for the Kiwis.
On Wednesday the men, who both hail from Waitara, were on the campaign trail in their home town, visiting schools, kohanga reo and other organisations.
Tamati said so far they’d covered more than 10,000 kilometres around the electorate, which extends from Putaruru and Tokoroa in the north, to Porirua in the south, with a coastal boundary from just south of Mokau to the Porirua inlet.
He said since the Maori Party hadn’t had a representative from the electorate in Parliament since Dame Tariana Turia retired from politics in 2014 and many staunch members had gone to sleep.
‘‘But we’ve gone around and woken them all up.’’
Tamati said the party was the only independent Maori voice in Parliament so it was important it was well represented, which could also result in it ousting Winston Peters as kingmaker in any future government.
‘‘We don’t have to do what National says, we don’t have to do what Labour says, we do what we think is right for our people.’’
The Maori Party would be able to work with either of the two major parties to form a government so Tamati wanted voters to use their party vote wisely.
‘‘The key thing is if our people love who they are and are keen to have an independent voice in Parliament then vote for the candidate but also vote Maori Party. We are willing to work with anybody but that has to be negotiated. If they want our support then they will have to support the things that we need for our people as well.’’