Election 2020: Labor doubts remain as Maori Party moves towards return

OPINION: Returning from the political grave is difficult for any party, any politician, but the Maori Party is knocking on the hinges of his coffin, demanding his release.

How do we get here?

Co-leader John Tamihere is 6 percentage points behind Labor incumbent Peeni Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. The nature of the Maori electorates means that the result could also be within the margin of error.

He joins a close fight between Labor incumbent Tāmati Coffey and Rawiri Waititi in Waiariki, which basically covers the Bay of Plenty, according to the same Maori Television poll.

READ MORE:
* Election 2020: closed race in Auckland electorate, poll reveals
* John Tamihere: why the Maori party will be important again
* The vote of the two MPs is rising at full volume in the Maori electorates

There are seven Maori electorates and the Labor Party has them all, after removing the Maori Party from the board in 2017.

With the strong polls from the party, Covid-19, and the Ardern factor, I would have thought the seats were a lock on Labor in 2020.

So why are there lingering doubts?

The answer could be found in last week’s debate on Maori television, where Waititi embodied the nature of the party, for better or for worse.

Moderator David Jones asked Waititi how much it would cost to return the nation’s cities to their Maori criminal names, according to party policy.

Waititi was surprised, perhaps amused, better word, at the question. Paraphrasing, he said, ‘who cares’? The names should be changed. “Me Teen “.

The party, I realized, prioritizes the I was about him price, no matter what. (What’s right about cost, no matter what).

Each of my interviews with the Maori Party candidates has ended with them explaining some aspect of the party’s kaupapa with the warmth of true believers. Yes, even Tamihere, actually, especially Tamihere.

I interviewed him by phone about the justice plans of the Party Treaty. We had never met before.

He spoke directly, bluntly, that Pākehā like me did not believe such policies were possible. All of that is fine, except that I am a Maori, from Te Rarawa in the Far North. To be fair, the names Joel and Maxwell are not exactly kosher, in the Maori sense.

I didn’t have the heart to stop it midway and correct it. But to give it its due, it was a frankly compelling interview. In the end, he was almost convinced that I was Pākehā. I have joined a cycling club; attended a big band jazz festival. I am eager to buy a jet ski.

The vocabulary of Labor is more measured, more polished, but in the wash, less passionate.

Whether it’s the $ 20 million promised to Maori boarding schools, who are gambling still have a lot of prestige in the Maori world; or the creation of a new holiday for Matariki, or the commitment to support the Whānau Ora health initiative: 136 million dollars for two years, after Covid-19. They are moderate in contrast to the Maori party.

(And even with Whānau Ora, Labor is grandly co-opting the Maori party’s own creation. In the Maori language debate, Labor Henare acknowledged this, but said Whānau Ora was given crumbs until Labor made him grow. : “to increase, the size too”.)

The policies have moderate sizzle, which is satisfying enough, but only until you reach the warm heart of the sausage.

Perhaps Labor, in the Maori world at least, has been clouded by its own restraint.

The contrast to the Maori Party could not be more stark, like the ideas in the Treaty, which included a Maori Parliament that controlled $ 20 billion annually and which set aside the concept of final and comprehensive agreements. Correct (yes, correct according to the Maori Party) above, whatever happens.

Once again, what is correct, depending on the party, anyway, at the top, no matter what.

Policies can seem politically unhinged in the world of Pākehā, which is where Labor candidates have to walk together. But Tamihere is not running in the world of Pākehā. And besides, the very concept that the goals were unattainable did not fall to Tamihere.

That is what people like me (Pākehā?) Told him 25 years ago, about the Maori initiatives that are now popular, he said sadly.

The party is not a party, it is a movement, he said.

Judging by the survey, your message could be working.

Or perhaps the only thing that really counts, as is often the case in elections, is name recognition.

Or perhaps, again, the two-for-one message from the Maori Party is starting to gain traction. In every meeting I’ve been to, I’ve been told the same thing: “My Labor opponent is going to be on the list, why doesn’t he pick me and list us both?”

Either way, the match has gained enough attention to become a contender. In Tāmaki, in Waiariki, and further afield, but still possibly in Te Tai Hauāuru with co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

He’s out there with party votes, so he could get another seat if one of them gets an electorate.

According to polls, there is a chance that Labor will win enough seats to rule alone or with the Greens, leaving the Maori Party on the sidelines in Parliament. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, it gives them a chance to rebuild in public view.

This has been an unusual year, so I am not ruling out resuscitation in 2020.