Hon. Nanaia
MAHUTA
Māori Caucus
11 June 2013

Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Polls Apart from Mana Party

A recent series of polls placing Mana Party candidate for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, Te Hamua Nikora, ahead in the by-election race are being dismissed by the Labour Māori Caucus.

“None of the polls are representative of a cross section of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti voters and in fact, many of the voters who have participated in these polls live in urban centers like Auckland or overseas, so they are based on random samples,” says Māori Development spokesperson Hon. Nanaia Mahuta.

A poll released by the Gisborne Herald was described by IT staff as “non-scientific, not full proof and based on a snapshot of the public feel”.

Another poll, conducted by Radio Ngāti Porou through its Facebook page put Meka Whaitiri behind Te Hamua Nikora by 26 votes, but up to 20% of all voters live in Australia while a third poll by Radio Waatea was based on a national sample of largely urban voters.

“The problem with online polls is that there can be huge variability which is heightened by the fact that in areas like the East Coast, internet access is still a problem both because of affordability and connectivity issues,” adds Ms Mahuta.

“For the Mana Party to continue to lead on the voting public with this questionable data is counter-productive. This campaign will be won by the best candidate – so voters should consider the expertise, knowledge and track record of each candidate.

“The Labour Māori Caucus is the oldest and premiere Māori political institution in Parliament. We are the solid rock that stands in opposition to the unsteady leadership of the Māori Party and the Mana Party.

“Our role has always been to put Māori interests in the best possible position, to honour our relationship with our Treaty Partner and to use our collective bargaining power to navigate Parliament and effect change.

“The first focus for the Labour Māori Caucus in Government will be to serve our people by reversing the negative trends in unemployment and poverty which have increased under the National Party’s watch.

“Meka has the skills and resilience required to weather the political storms which will lie in the void left by the absence of the Māori Party and an unpredictable future for the Mana Party.

"We are looking forward to Meka joining our team because we share the same issues of concern such as jobs for our whānau, better opportunities for rangatahi and unlocking the potential of iwi post-settlement assets.

“The Labour Māori Caucus has its sights set on unlocking the potential of Māori to move our political future and determine our own destiny.

“We look forward to the opportunity to work with our candidate Meka Whaitiri as she campaigns relentlessly to secure the confidence and support of her voters," says Ms Mahuta.

ENDS

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