July 21, 2017
No problems ditching Maori seats says Fox but … only when disparity for Maori removed.
Maori Party co leader Marama Fox says she's fine with the abolition of Maori seats but it should only happen when disparity between Maori and Pakeha is abolished.
Marama Fox is responding to New Zealand First leader Winston Peter's called for a referenda on removing Maori seats.
She says what Maori need to remember is the seats have brought about great and significant change that would not have occurred otherwise.
"I'm fine to remove the Maori seats when we remove disparity for Maori and until then that is the only vehicle by which we have independent voice in parliament. If you look back over the years the pivotal people who have held those seats and then gone on to make incremental changes to the law and the fabric of this nation, which has seen a rise in the mighty political movement, it would not have happened without those seats," she says.
The Maori Party favour an opt-off policy where all Maori are automatically registered on the Maori roll.
Marama Fox says this will have a dramatic effect on Parliament.
"If that happened we'd immediately get an increase in the number of Maori seats in parliament and Maori would have a greater representation than we currently do," she says.
Marama Fox says under the opt-off policy, Maori would have the option of removing themselves from the Maori roll if they choose.
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