August 30, 2016
The Fox and the Shark split Maori Party vote
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell says the interests of his electorate were foremost in his vote on the Easter trading bill.
The Maori Party split its vote on the bill, which shifts responsibility for deciding whether shops can open on to local government.
National required all its MPs to vote in favour, breaking the convention such issues get a conscience vote.
Mr Flavell says it's crazy that Rotorua shops stay closed on Easter Sunday, while down the road in Taupo they remain open.
"There will be circumstances that will be different elsewhere but in terms of places like Rotorua and Tauranga, which are in my constituency, I could not but support it. Marama from her perspective, certainly from the spiritual line, believed that it wasn't appropriate to have shops open so we had a split vote, " says Te Ururoa Flavell.
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