The Maori Party Effect: Campaign Mobilized ‘Outstanding’ Performance by Maori Voters

The Maori Party is credited with mobilizing “outstanding” performance by Maori voters, who might not have voted otherwise.

Former national MP and political analyst Claudette Hauiti says the Māori Party’s campaign based on a “liberated Maori voice” resonated with Maori in a way that “talking politics” did not.

“It seems that Maori voters have come back, that’s because now they can feel that there is a time for more Maori and they can actually get more Maori into Parliament,” he says.

“The Maori are to be congratulated on the way they came out to vote. It also showed how Maori can be galvanized and mobilized if there is a party like the Māori Party that speaks to the hearts and minds of the Maori, and not only into the pockets of the Maori. Maori, “he says.

“The policies of the Maori Party are exclusively Maori and that is what resonated with the Maori voters, who didn’t care in the last election, who were summoned by the Māori Party,” he says.

Māori Television reported that a whopping 79 Maori candidates stood for election in 45 seats.

The New Zealand Maori Council called the election result an “overwhelming victory” for the Maori vote.

Executive Director Matthew Tukaki says the growth in the Maori Caucus within the Labor Party sets the stage for a resurgence in focus on Maori issues.

“There is no question that the Maori have come out and come out in droves,” he says.

“We have seen the return of the Māori Party and close results in several other seats, but the big news of the night has to be the increase in the Maori representatives within the Labor Party, and it is not just the Maori seats but the general seats where the Maori I have done extremely well. “

While it appears that Rawiri Waititi will be the only Māori Party candidate to win a seat, other candidates put up a real fight.

Political commentator Will Workman was surprised by the “good chunk” of votes Heather Te Au-Skipworth took from Meka Whaitiri.

“Even though Meka Whaitiri in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti has won easily, that is a change,” he says.

Dr Lara Greaves from the University of Auckland says that the outcome of the Māori Party is a testament to how hard they worked.

“It was a good effort in those seats where there is a fairly popular Labor incumbent, where the Maori Party did not necessarily have a solid foundation.”

Meanwhile, Labor MP Willie Jackson took to social media to celebrate the party’s growing Maori representation.

“We now have a 15-member Maori caucus, six of the seven Maori seats, as well as new general electorate seats for Jo Luxton, Shannan Halbert, Kiritapu Allan and Arena Williams,” he posted.

“I am proud of the way we campaigned against a great challenge from the Maori Party. In terms of overall performance, what a fabulous role our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has played. She has led from the front and now we have a record victory.”