Increase Ma¯ori MP representation
the Ma¯ori roll vote for them, the incumbent Labour MPs could also get in on the party votes.
This would give voters two Ma¯ori MPs per seat which would be more beneficial because of the large size of each electorate. If Davidson and Kerekere make it in on the Greens party vote, the Ta¯maki Makaurau and Ikaroa-Ra¯whiti seats would have three Ma¯ori reps.
In total, Ma¯ori roll voters could potentially help put 16 Ma¯ori MPs into Parliament.
During Ma¯ori TV’s Te Tai Tonga debate, Ariana Paretutanganui-Tamati from the Greens told voters to give her the party vote and backed the call from the Ma¯ori Party’s Ta¯kuta Ferris to give him the candidate vote.
Ferris is trailing far behind Rino Tirikatene but argued the incumbent is high enough on Labour’s list, at number 29, to make it back into Parliament without winning the seat. Tirikatene disagreed, saying he wants both ticks.
In 2017, Labour gained the most party votes from Ma¯ori roll voters: 97,281 or 10.17 per cent of Labour’s total. It gave Labour 3.75 per cent of the national total which can equate to two list seats.
In the last election, just two of the Ma¯ori electorate MPs were on Labour’s list. This time six of them are in the top-30, except for Ta¯mati Coffey in Waiariki, who sits at 37.
Of the seven seats, Waiariki is the tightest race. Coffey, who ousted Te Ururoa Flavell and the Ma¯ori Party in 2017, is just 12 per centage points ahead of the Ma¯ori Party’s Rawiri Waititi.
There are large numbers of undecided voters on the Ma¯ori roll the Ma¯ori Party could swing their way and it could give them a realistic chance to win in Waiariki and Te Tai Haua¯uru.
While on the hustings in Ikaroa-Ra¯whiti, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern ruled out discussing potential coalition deals, insisting she was campaigning for her Labour colleagues to retain all the Ma¯ori seats.
However, voter turnout in the Ma¯ori seats has always been lower than other electorates.
If those on the Ma¯ori roll don’t get out and vote or stick with Labour, as they have in the past, then the status quo will remain.
There are large numbers of undecided voters on the Ma¯ori roll the Ma¯ori Party could swing their way and it could give them a realistic chance to win in Waiariki and Te Tai Haua¯uru.