Mā ori Party to Labour: Give up seats
Tamihere wants tactical approach to head off National-Act win at October election
Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere has some political kōrero for his ex-talkback co-host and Labour Māori campaign strategist Willie Jackson — concede some of the Māori seats and go hard for the party vote.
Tamihere, speaking on his Monday morning slot on iwi radio station Waatea 603AM, said Labour does not have the Covid-fuelled red tide of the last election and Māori must be more strategic with their voting.
Te Pā ti Mā ori wants Labour to lead the next Government with its support, because the alternative would be a catastrophe for Māori.
“We either get a National or Act Government that is going to do over the Māori Health Authority, do away with all sorts of things, cuts to benefits, make poor people suffer because they are poor rather than ensure they have an ability and a right to get equality of treatment in this country so we have got a stark choice coming up,” Tamihere told Waateanews.com.
Jackson agreed that the alternative to a Labour-Te Pāti Māori-Green coalition was not good for Māori.
While Jackson acknowledged
Tamihere’s election strategy, he was not quite ready to concede anything at this stage.
“John is right, because the prospect of a National-Act led Government does not look good for Mā ori and that needs to be reinforced,” Jackson told the Herald.
“Everything is on the line and the reality is we have to find ways of working better together.
“Whether that goes to us conceding seats, that’s probably a step too far and not something we are contemplating.
“To concede seats is to concede whakapapa. Labour has won the Māori seats we have on the back of whakapapa to that area.”
Jackson said Tamihere was taking a cold, hard clinical view, which he did not necessarily disagree with.
But Jackson said: “The electorates have blood, sweat, years and tears that I have to balance against what JT is saying.”
“I get what John is saying but [it is] not a deal we can do at the moment.”