August 21, 2017
Opportunities Party stands up for Maori seats
The Opportunities Party says retention of the Maori seats is its bottom line for any post-election negotiations.
Leader Gareth Morgan told the Koroneihana hui at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawhahia today TOP will not support any government which has on its agenda policies to reduce or remove current Maori representation in Parliament.
That puts us at odds with National, which has such a policy even though for now it has decided not to act on it and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters wants a referendum.
Mr Morgan says his party would not contest the Maori seats but it has some Maori candidates in general electorates.
Last week Tauranga identity Buddy Mikaere announced he was standing on the Opportunities Party list.
The latest Roy Morgan poll released Friday put TOP on 2 percent but a UMR poll leaked to some journalists put it on 4 percent.
Roy Morgan has Labour on 32.5 percent and National down to 42.5 percent but UMR found 37 percent support for Labour, just three percent below National on 40 percent.
Both polls rated the Greens higher than the 4.5 percent recorded by last week’s One News Colmar Brunton poll, at 9 and 8 percent respectively.
Maori Party support is unchanged at 1.5 percent but eyes will be on a Maori Television poll due this week which is expected to show strong support for Labour’s candidates in all the Maori seats.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com