September 25, 2017
Maori Party needs mirror
Labour deputy leader Kelvin Davis says the Maori Party needs to face up to its own record rather than blame Labour for its demise.
Labour made a clean sweep of the seven Maori seats on Saturday, with Te Ururoa Flavell losing Waiariki to Tamati Coffey.
Mr Flavell yesterday announced his retirement from politics, but co-leader Marama Fox vowed to fight on, describing Labour’s Maori MPs as a waste of space and comparing Maori voters to a beaten wife who returns to her abuser.
Mr Davis says the Maori Party ran a flawed campaign after propping up a Government for nine years that had overseen growing rates of homelessness among Maori and a worsening of health and education statistics.
He says the Maori Party was saying they knew what was best for Maori people, and the people have rejected that.
The outcome of the election means Labour has 45 seats, including 16 list seats, while National has 58.
That could change once the 300,000 special votes are counted, but either party would need the support of New Zealand First to form a Government.
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