2020 Election Results: Kelvin Davis Receives Endorsement For Deputy Prime Minister

Kelvin Davis, Labor’s number two, is receiving strong support for the post of deputy prime minister, including from other political parties.

Rawiri Waititi of the Maori party, who has likely secured the party’s return seat in Parliament, says he would expect “nothing less” than Davis to be appointed deputy prime minister.

Speaking of the broader Labor caucus, he says Māoridom will expect nothing less than those MPs to get high ministerial positions within the cabinet.

“As te iwi Māori, they made a great contribution to the entire composition of Labor and I commend them for that,” he said.

“It is a testament to the hard work they did.”

Davis wouldn’t be drawn to an answer when asked if he’s pushing for the deputy prime minister job.

“Those decisions have yet to be made,” he told the Herald today.

“Ultimately, the prime minister will make the call. She and I will have a discussion, but I will not make a call or announcement at this time.”

Davis said the party was feeling “quite optimistic” and proud after their landslide victory.

Davis has his eyes on retaining the Corrections portfolio.

“I would love, if the Prime Minister allows it, to be the Minister of Corrections. We still have work to do to improve outcomes in the justice sector for Maori. Maori education remains my great passion and the reason why entered politics. “

Another victory for Labor is the high number of Maori MPs – 15.

Davis says that winning so many Maori seats is “absolutely fantastic.”

“It just shows that Maori have a voice in the Labor Party, with 15 Maori MPs representing the interests and needs of Maori,” he says.

“It is wonderful to see people like Shanan Halbert win an overall seat, as well as Jo Luxton, Kiritapu Allan and Arena Williams. We are very proud of our efforts.”

Davis says Labor’s landslide victory shows that people are “fed up with negative and nasty politics.”

“They like what the Labor Party is offering; kindness, compassion, seeing those attributes as strength. I think the country is looking for something different than what we have experienced in previous decades.”

Davis says he would like the government to “increase the number of partnerships” with Maori groups.

“With hapū, with iwi, to hear what their aspirations are, and pull the lever as a Government and make those aspirations come true.”

He also has plans to support kohanga reo, kura kaupapa, and wānanga.

Oranga Tamariki, housing and methamphetamine are also key issues.

“The cost of living, putting bread and butter on the people’s table. We have a recovery plan. We have already begun to implement it. People saw that we are a strong and stable government and that we have a plan, and that is really much of the reason we got such a resounding victory on Saturday. “

In her election night speech to introduce Jacinda Ardern, which turned out to be a rhyming speech attacking the National Party, Davis said she was “playing for the audience.”

“As I said, all the material was provided by the National Party. I was simply holding up in a mirror everything they had said, their words and actions of the last six months.”

Davis won the Te Tai Tokerau seat from Hone Harawira in 2014 and held the seat in this election in a battle against the Maori Mariameno party candidate Kapa-Kingi.

Former Māori Labor Affairs Minister Dover Samuels says he hoped Kelvin Davis would become deputy prime minister, making the current Te Tai Tokerau MP the first representative of the Maori electorate to hold the post.

“I think this is an unprecedented mandate for Maori. I have never seen anything like this and I would expect Kelvin to be appointed to the position.

Samuels, who served as a Labor MP from 1996 to 2008 and held the Te Tai Tokerau seat for two terms, said that with 15 Maori MPs he had never seen so much political representation in a single party for Maori.

He said the election had provided an “unprecedented opportunity to really meet the Maori.”

“Clearly Māoridom will expect a lot from them.”

With Winston Peters and NZ First missing, Samuels said it would allow the government to address some of the most controversial issues, including Maori water rights, Ihumātao and the Ngāpuhi claim.

Former Labor MP Georgina Beyer said Grant Robertson could be considered for the job and the prime minister had options.

“There are other people [to choose from]. The Maori might think they earned the place, which might as well be the case. “

Beyer says Davis’s experience as an occasional acting prime minister would be a bonus.

Dr Lara Greaves of the University of Auckland says that rejecting Davis for the post of deputy prime minister would be an “incredibly disrespectful” step towards Maori and “would not be logical”.

“That would be a strange move. It would be incredibly disrespectful for Kelvin Davis and the Maori caucus to move. [him] Out of that [number two] position and promote Grant Robertson. “

Greaves says the key indicator by which you should be judged for work is how you have done in your seat.

“He has done well in that seat.”

Political commentator Will Workman said the role of deputy prime minister could be shared by two deputies.

“Perhaps co-MPs to reflect the priorities of the Covid recovery and the Tiriti partnership going forward; Kelvin Davis and Robertson alike. Why can’t there be two?”