‘Even non-Maori can vote Maori Party’

Maori Party candidate for Rotorua Wendy Biddle. Supplied photo.

Maori Party president Tukoroirangi Morgan says their general seat candidates are a reminder you don't have to be Maori to vote for the party.

Wendy Biddle is their latest candidate announcement, and will be running in the Rotorua electorate for this election.

"We're excited to have Wendy on board our campaign. The work she has and does for our people, including, homeless whanau, is to be admired and respected,” says Tukoroirangi.

"There's a saying that when you educate a man, you educate a man but that when you educate a woman, you educate a generation. And if we're to ensure that we eliminate homelessness and poverty in this country, then we need staunch and passionate woman like Wendy.”

Wendy is a Te Koutu resident and is married to local broadcaster Kingi Biddle. They have four tamariki and three mokopuna. Wendy is a kohanga reo office manager and is active in advocating for the communities she works in.

'I want to be the voice for those who feel disempowered by the system,” says Wendy.

'I have witnessed many people struggling and it's not only the ones that live on the streets. I've witnessed elderly and beneficiaries being ignored. Working families struggling to put kai on the table and areas in the health sector that fall short of caring well for their patients because the budget is at the forefront of the decision making.

'The Maori Party and I are committed to ensuring that all people of Rotorua are served under the guiding principles of manaakitanga and rangatiratanga.”

Tukoroirangi says the Maori Party is standing 15 candidates so far in general seats throughout the country.

'This is a timely reminder that even non- Maori can vote Maori Party. We are a party for Aotearoa which seeks the wellbeing for all peoples of this land.”

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49 comments

But...

Posted on 09-08-2017 11:02 | By Captain Sensible

But...only a maori can be a candidate so a maori is guaranteed a seat. But that's "good racism"...right? By definition, NZ is not a democracy with this palaver going on.


No thanks

Posted on 09-08-2017 11:25 | By overit

Its a Party for Maori, nothing for Europeans. All "our people", not people in general.


Maori insulate us from insidious creep

Posted on 09-08-2017 12:31 | By Papamoaner

I've said it before on various forums, and it's true;- Eventually, maori might be the only entity that saves our country from being sold in increments, down the drain to foreign interests.


Pffftt

Posted on 09-08-2017 12:41 | By awaroa

Waste of air time Capt.Sens. We all know how you feel about Maori. Pathetic.


Captain ,Captain ,Captain

Posted on 09-08-2017 12:44 | By Fonzie

You are just not getting with the program It only works one way.... right ?


Wrong again cap'n,

Posted on 09-08-2017 13:08 | By R. Bell

you must try to keep up. Wetex Wang, non Maori, ethnic Chinese is standing for the Maori Party in the next election. I'm not sure why, but it could have something to do with the fact that it took 150yrs for a Chinese citizen to get elected to our parliament under your version of " democracy". Thank gawd its on the way out. Robin Bell.


It is about time

Posted on 09-08-2017 13:13 | By Merlin

The Maori Party need to realise that National only give them a few crumbs to keep themselves in power.I believe their is a feeling within Maori do go back and help form a Government with the other parties.This has been inferred a couple of times I think.


Bunch of crooks

Posted on 09-08-2017 15:21 | By maildrop

May as well. I'm running out of options. The last few weeks have shown the others to be a bunch liars, cheats and fraudsters. A dithery old fool who can barely string a sentence together is starting to look good. Jeez. They all come across as idiots to me. Maybe it's representative.


@ awaroa

Posted on 09-08-2017 16:00 | By Captain Sensible

A typical response....a lame incorrect attempt at calling me racist...but as usual, NO counter argument. The Maori Party are set up for a certain race of people and actively despise the rest of us except when we are bullied into submission with more handouts. Try to be a bit more resourceful in your responses, otherwise you are only helping to prove me right.


Maildrop, a question,

Posted on 09-08-2017 16:25 | By R. Bell

were you dropped on your head as a baby? There must be a reason for your hatred. Robin Bell.


wrong again

Posted on 09-08-2017 17:11 | By Captain Sensible

What you mean is, you know how I feel about being discriminated against. Believe me, being the victim of discrimination is awful, but since you are the beneficiary of discrimination, you wouldn't have a clue how us non-maori feel.


So, is there also a...

Posted on 09-08-2017 17:52 | By GreertonBoy

Pakeha party? You know, where only white people can be candidates? or would that be racist? How I long for equality in NZ... Being a white, middle aged New Zealand male is like being a lepper, or worse


Robin Bell

Posted on 10-08-2017 07:30 | By maildrop

end a question - why do you always pop up on comments shortly after pompous moaner? I call politicians idiots and crooks, with some justification, and you direct your post at me quoting "hatred". Ironic. I suppose that is the best your superior intellect could muster. That's when you're not inviting me to "take a crack". All very superior. Good to see a kiwi reverting to type.


Compounding your intellectual poverty cap'n,

Posted on 10-08-2017 08:27 | By R. Bell

Wrong about non Maori standing for the Maori Party, Really,really wrong about me being a beneficiary of discrimination, unless of course you refer to the generations political and social discrimination AGAINST Maori. Really, really, really wrong about me "not having a clue how us non Maori feel" I am non Maori, always have been and always will be. Awaroa did not call you racist, but I do, You cannot help yourself and will carry it forever. Robin Bell.


Dropkick, I think you'll agree,

Posted on 10-08-2017 09:06 | By R. Bell

making a comment on here is a bit difficult not to "pop up"after papamoaner. You jump to many conclusions, usually wrong. If that's the best crack you can come up with, I suggest you pack your bags. Lots of Kiwis around here old boy. As for me, keep guessing, good for your "intellect" Robin Bell.


@R.Bell

Posted on 10-08-2017 09:06 | By Papamoaner

No Robin, he wasn't dropped on his head, he was just a plain school yard bully caused by bad upbringing, and got away with it. I see he has lately transferred his regular "superior intellect" accusation from me to you, caused by the same inferiority complex that made him a bully at school.I would take an educated guess at him being unpopular in the workplace. We've all seen them eh. To our Maori mates, I say;- hang in there bro's, you are the ones who might save us from being systematically sold down the drain to foreign interests. No other party seems interested except perhaps Gareth to a small degree. Take heart a majority of our population support you. This forum is only a statistic based on a random sample of about 6 egged on by an obnoxious bigoted bully.


Most Maori not interested in a racist party

Posted on 10-08-2017 09:39 | By the roofer

This party gained approximately 1.5% of votes in the last election. Even most Maori think it's a racist party and want nothing to do with it. This type of race party was banned in South Africa, but allowed here.


@R.Bell

Posted on 10-08-2017 12:21 | By Papamoaner

Did I detect a faint aroma of the "mother country" in the Bully's last few posts? That might explain a few things.


Now the roofer claims to speak

Posted on 10-08-2017 12:45 | By R. Bell

for Maori. How arrogant we can be at times. What the hell do these jokers keep referring to S. Africa for, could it be that's their homeland? Guess we'll never know. Robin Bell.


Robin

Posted on 10-08-2017 13:38 | By overit

You say social discrimination against Maori. The stat's prove that something is wrong within Maoridom. Rub off the chip on your shoulder, look inward and find a solution because the taxpayer is throwing a lot of money at the problems.


I'm feeling extra privileged today,

Posted on 10-08-2017 15:25 | By R. Bell

Two lines from overit, wow!! I don't have a chip on my shoulder overit, I don't have to look inward, to find solutions. One really positive move that would help, would be for you and others to can your automatic criticism, generated by articles like this one. Destructive, uninformed b******t for the most part. Another would be for you and your mates to remember, assimilation was tried for 150yrs and failed. Get overit, overit. Robin Bell.


Perhaps this will help overit,

Posted on 10-08-2017 16:59 | By R. Bell

Whilst I have no mandate to speak for Maori,I can give my own opinions. As we speak there is a delegation going around educating people on the meaning of the T.O.W. That in itself is an indictment on past education. Maoridom as you call it is not an all encompassing entity. At best it serves those Maori who associate with Marae, tens of thousands don't, and can only do so from personal choice, not easy when you live in Mangere and your Marae is in Kaitaia. These restrictions are due to social change. No one today is to blame, but the remedy ( difficult as it is) is in our hands, collectively. It can and should be done, but not with current attitudes of some. Robin Bell.


Ding Dong

Posted on 10-08-2017 17:22 | By maildrop

Interesting that Batman & Robin keep mentioning inferiority complex. They both bring it up a lot which again is interesting. Classic examples of inferiority complex are telling others that you have a superior intellect (tick for both of you). Someone who knows they have superior intellect wouldn't feel the need to. Coming on here and massaging each others egos repeatedly (tick for both of you). Starting personal attacks but then complaining of being bullied when there is retaliation that you cannot take (tick for both of you). Ganging up because you are too weak intellectually on your own (tick for both of you). The inferiority complex shines through all right. The insecurity you both display is cringeworthy. If you keep calling me a bully I think I'm going to cry!


Assimilation

Posted on 10-08-2017 18:44 | By overit

Actually it did work well. I have a lot of respect for the kaumatua-gentle, softly spoken people. Unfortunately the rebels like Ken Mair have skewed everything, and its snowballing. Now we have seperatism rammed down our throats. Its so bad young Maori do not respect the Law of the Land and Judges.


Robin...

Posted on 10-08-2017 23:37 | By groutby

..assimilation?..as in "the process of adapting or adjusting to the culture of a group or nation, or the state of being so adapted"?..then yes it has failed. Why have Maori failed dismally to do so?...why?. Please, don't do the "poor me" anymore...well past that, 150 years plus in fact...


@ R. Bell

Posted on 11-08-2017 11:03 | By Captain Sensible

Assimilation has not failed. There are no pure maori left, only part maori, so what does that tell you?!! Duh!! The maori in Australia, with no Treaty troughing, get on just fine. It's only when people have the option to blame something that probably did not even happen, 200 years ago ( long before they were born) instead of taking responsibility for their own actions do we get the shambles we have now where non-maori are discriminated against every day because they are guilty of that unique NZ crime.... being born non-maori. Did the Japanese collapse in a heap after two atom bombs decimated their country? No, they got on with it and 70 years later look at them now. The Treaty has been reinterpreted, second guessed, reinvented, lied about and third guessed but the truth has been hidden.


@overit

Posted on 11-08-2017 18:25 | By Papamoaner

You made a valid point about Ken Mair, but he is an exception. A bit like that pathological bully who only comes on here to slug it out and (quote) "run rings around you" In contrast, Ken might have been well meaning in a sense some of the time, but misguided, and did a lot of damage, much of it to his own people who are good people. It is a narrow view for some on here to say maori have failed. We have all failed in some areas, moreso pakeha than maori in some respects, and I am pakeha, born in NZ.


Assimilation, and the predictable tirade.

Posted on 12-08-2017 10:15 | By R. Bell

Overit, You may have thought assimilation was working, but sadly your wrong. Assimilation has to be voluntary, the simple fact is for the most part it was forced. Politically and economically. We are currently witnessing an example of how one group, Pakeha, are talking over the heads of another group , Maori. We are yet again trying to decide, what is best for Maori. Ken Mair may have been a rebel in your eyes, he was a hero to many of his people. Robin Bell.


We all know what assimilation means groutby,

Posted on 12-08-2017 10:41 | By R. Bell

but was it ever a realistic option? Answer no. The N.Z Constitution Act 1852 enacted in Britain set aside large areas of N.Z. for Maori,self governing, own economy the lot. It was never implemented, and I think we all know why. In hindsight it's easy to be judgmental, but the fact remains, you cannot force a race to disappear. You ask "why have Maori failed dismally to do so?....why?" Look around, you will see innumerable examples of Maori success. They hav'nt failed groutby, it's you who have failed to educate yourself on this subject, relying instead on the rhetoric of the extremists. Sad really. Robin Bell.


Further compounding you intellectual poverty cap'n

Posted on 12-08-2017 11:00 | By R. Bell

Google Oriini Kaipara 100% Maori. Indisputable and only one of many. The Japanese analogy is interesting only from the point of view that you are yet again wrong. After the devastation of the Atom bombs, America and others injected $billions into rebuilding, gifting such things as the transistor radio,automobile technology etc. Similar in context to the devastation brought to Maori by land and asset theft. That you continue to promote your personal second class status is as sad as it is pathetic. Robin Bell.


All mixed blood

Posted on 12-08-2017 11:02 | By maybelle

I had a friend at school who, when a teenager had a major crisis in her life because she did not know which breed she wanted to be( being 1/16 maori, irish and European blood). I ask why should that have been such a problem as we are all of mixed blood .It seemed to me that she was being coerced into saying she was Maori, thereby disinheriting her other blood. We should not be putting our children thru such torment as we are all kiwis at the end of the day with mixed blood. What we do need to do is accept that, and get on with being all equal and preserving this beautiful country of ours.


maybelle......

Posted on 12-08-2017 20:14 | By groutby

..of all comments submitted here, yours, in my opinion, is by far and away the most rational, logical and sensible. Unfortunately, it cannot, at least at this stage work for us, there are to many groups wishing, I believe, to make it not so for their own gain in most cases.


Robin...

Posted on 12-08-2017 20:34 | By groutby

I will not dispute your recollections of 1852...but 1852 Robin !..for goodness sake, there will have been many, many positive things to have happened for Maoridom in the last 165 years surely to have overcome, or at least accepted from this issue in 1852? No one wants the Maori race to disappear, the perception of such is ludicrous (that is my issue with your reply)...and YES..there are many glowing examples of Maori success, indisputable. On the flip side Robin, we are constantly reminded of the Maori "issues" re. not such good stuff such as crime, poverty, drug/alcohol abuse etc and all the stats (facts not made up) which sadly frequently (but far from exclusively) involve those relating to Maoridom....again indisputable. Am I really extreme Robin?..I don't think so, just realistic and as truthful as I can be. Assimilation is NOT being allowed to happen, by a few.


Robyn

Posted on 13-08-2017 08:39 | By overit

My cousin married a lovely Maori man. Their 4 kids have married other ethnicities, one owns his own business in Aust, one lives and works in Aust, one is Principal of a large NZ primary school(he speaks fluent Te Reo), the daughter is a Theatre Nurse. Assimilated NZers. I see many other intermarried Maori who are happy, working and doing just fine. Assimilated. It seems to me its people from families where there is no love, discipline, direction that are up falling through the cracks. Their home life involved lots of drinking, violence, abuse, and no doubt poverty because of unwise spending of money.


A very complex issue

Posted on 13-08-2017 11:30 | By Papamoaner

I don't think there is any one simple analysis. What helps a lot, is give and take on both sides without either side being judgemental as we work our way through it. Yes, bad parenting is evident everywhere these days, but on both sides, probably not unequally. It's noticeable that some pakeha people seem to think maori are not as smart as us pakeha, but in actual fact they are much smarter than us in some ways. I remember many years ago being ticked off by an older maori guy for breaking pauas underwater to attract fish. Then I read years later that it is a very bad thing to do, so there you go. These people know a lot of stuff that is beyond pakeha intellect without prompting. They speak two languages too.


@R.Bell

Posted on 13-08-2017 14:32 | By Papamoaner

Bovverboy Maildrop (that's two V's, not a W, has a new strategy of attacking you and I simultaneously, as if we were in some sort of club. I guess we have both got under his skin to the extent he is losing it! I don't know anyone on here from a bar of soap, so there is no collusion. I don't however give a tinker's cuss about getting under his paranoid gossamer of skin. I'm here to debate issues, but sometimes there is a need to bite back at parasites that are primarily on here to lash out at society in a fixation with a perception of being criticised in some way - a thing that narcissists, by definition, cannot handle.


Hehehe

Posted on 13-08-2017 17:37 | By maildrop

You can't get under my skin old boy. You bite every time so I enjoy the response. It is you that cannot handle criticism of "your" ideas. You describe yourself. You are very insecure, which is why you latch onto an ally, the constant massaging of each other's egos. That's when you're not talking to your other characters. You attack many on here who disagree with you. You return endlessly to every story, always wanting the final say. You write in a pompous way deliberately to try to give the impression you are smarter than you are, which is why you tell people you think you have a superior intellect. It's classic inferiority complex. Overcompensating. I won't be losing it anytime soon old boy. I could refer to several stories where you have almost broken down in tears at my posts. Keep up.


I thank you for your family resume overit, but

Posted on 14-08-2017 10:04 | By R. Bell

you will find that I have similar anecdotes in my whanau. If you read back you will find I asserted that assimilation has to be voluntary. In the case of your cousin, as with my own family they exercise choice. That choice is often determined by choices made generations ago by other individuals. Both yourself and groutby talk as if assimilation is normal and natural, its not. The assimilation I refer to was the assumption that Maori would assimilate both politically and economically.They as a race apart have refused to do so, who can blame them? Some in these columns present a dreadful picture of aggression, lack of compassion, lack of knowledge,etc. We can point to dis-function to justify our position, but there are many solvable reasons for it. Try reading Maori and the State. Prof. Richard S Hill. Victoria Uni. Robin Bell.


@Maildrop

Posted on 14-08-2017 11:03 | By Papamoaner

There are quite a few of us on here that disagree with each other and sometimes get irritated and personal. That's just normal human nature. But with you it's different. It never stops. An almost sinister depth of targeted nastiness hangs in the air like a bad aroma. You have boasted about "running rings" around people (your words). As I have said before, I can see you bullied other kids at school, and are probably unpopular in the workplace. We are all different according to our upbringing in a range of contrasts from dysfunctional to commendable. Rather than continuing to feed the ego of an obnoxious dickhead that follows victims from post to post, I reckon completely ignoring your existence is probably the best strategy. Not that you ever contributed much on topic anyway. Roger over and out.


Groutby it is difficult to have rational conversation,

Posted on 14-08-2017 13:56 | By R. Bell

with you. You sidetrack to suit your preferences. You dismiss relevant history but use history to back yourself. We all know Maori " gained" much from colonisation, but the trade off was devastating. You continually use the collective term Maori, the reality is that Maori are as diverse any other race or nationality. You claim that assimilation is being opposed by the few. Wrong groutby. During the latter part of last century, successive govn'ts recognised that fact,and Maori in general spoke against it. Your support of it of course, puts you fair and square in the camp of the small minority of Pakeha who cannot, or will not accept it. It was all predicted by Lord Justice Cooke, way back. Robin Bell.


Another melon kicked into touch

Posted on 14-08-2017 14:26 | By maildrop

I only boast of running rings around you old chap. it's only you I choose to exchange fire with. So that says more about you than me. You seem to have lost it again and resorted to name calling, again. As I said, if you read all the comments, I was attacked by tinker bell. As always you join in because you like to exchange personal fire. Then when you have lost, bitten and got irritated, you complain of being bullied. Diddums. You can't help yourself, you'll be back for another go, and failure. I like the armchair psych evaluations though. I wonder what you're like at work. I'm guessing the office bore who leers at girls 30 his junior, runs to boss to tittle tattle, his way is the only way, micro managing, undermining, universally disliked but thinks he's bullied. We've all seen them. Cheerio. Waiting.


So dropkick, you think I attacked you,

Posted on 14-08-2017 16:46 | By R. Bell

I am always very happy to help people, You clearly have a need to spew your bile. If you look back over many threads you will find it is you who attacks first. You resent people who go into detail on a given subject. When those attacks are unreasonable, you deserve to be called out. As you have many times distorted papamoaners " name" I thought it normal and natural to do the same. Bags packed yet? old bean. Robin Bell.


Got me

Posted on 15-08-2017 12:40 | By maildrop

Ggrrrrr...DETAILS. They wind me up. Too many details. It hurts my head.


Robin

Posted on 15-08-2017 18:47 | By overit

in your reply to me you said something about disfunction, and many solvable reasons for it. Please enlighten me as I wont be wading through the book you recommended. Outlining the problems and remedies would be gratefully received.


@R.Bell Re the village idiot

Posted on 15-08-2017 21:22 | By Papamoaner

There's nothing in there anyway Robin.


I think you pretty much sum it up, overit.

Posted on 16-08-2017 12:53 | By R. Bell

You refuse to "wade" through perhaps the most informative books on the subject of Assimilation socially, politically and economically. Possibly preferring the anti treaty propaganda, spread by "you know who" I don't know. What I do know, is that like yourself many choose that position because for some unknown reason, they find comfort in it, and seem to prefer sniping from around the edges. As you well know overit, this is not the forum to go into the kind of detail you ask for. Sunlive probably gets sick of it all. The privilege of choice is something not available to children born into the destructive cycle of poverty and abuse. Some manage to break free, sadly most don't. At last many Maori and others are doing something about that, slow process but we will get there. Robin Bell.


But enough...

Posted on 16-08-2017 12:53 | By maildrop

...to make you look daft. How is the new coping strategy working out for you?


@Maildrop

Posted on 16-08-2017 19:42 | By Papamoaner

Yeah, working out really well thanks. In that vein, any update on the prognosis for your NPD caused by dysfunctional parenting?


Mr n Mrs Moaner

Posted on 17-08-2017 16:50 | By maildrop

Of course it is. That's why a day after begging me to stop making you look daft, you are back on the hook. It looks like Robin has let go of your hand. I'm off now as I am bored with toying with you. Everyone is laughing at you old boy. Last word doesn't equal winning but feel free. You can't help it.


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