3 February, 2004
No Maori in Brash's brave new world
Green MP Metiria Turei said today that National's dumped Maori Affairs spokesperson, Georgina te Heuheu had been
unfairly treated by her caucus.
"National's policies on the Treaty and Maori can have absolutely no credibility if the party's only Maori MP cannot
support them, and has to be stripped of her portfolios by a vengeful caucus," said Metiria, the Green Party Maori
Affairs spokesperson.
"We mightn't have always seen eye-to-eye, but Georgina's been highly successful at raising public awareness of issues
such as Te Puni Kokiri and Maori TV. National are undermining their own efforts by removing their only MP with any
experience of critiquing Government policy on Maori issues.
"I guess after a week of Maori-bashing it was inevitable that they would sacrifice the one caucus member with enough
guts to publicly denounce Brash's new policy for the cynical vote-catching ploy it really is," said Metiria.
"I hope Georgina will continue to take a principled stand against her leader's policy of racial intolerance."
ENDS