Coffey confident in Waiariki

Labour candidate for Waiariki Tamati Coffey isn’t bothered by the Mana-Maori deal. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

The deal between the Mana and Maori parties not to compete against each other in the Maori electorates changes nothing, according to Labour candidate Tamati Coffey.

On Monday, representatives from Mana and the Maori Party signed a kawenata, or agreement, recognising ‘the importance of unity and having mutual respect'.

The agreement means the Maori Party will not stand a candidate in Te Tai Tokerau, while the Mana Party will not stand candidates in any of the remaining six Maori electorates.

Currently, six of the Maori electorates – including Te Tai Tokerau – are held by Labour, with Waiariki (roughly covering the Bay of Plenty) held by Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell.

Neither the Mana Party nor the Maori Party received greater than 1.5 per cent of the party vote in the 2014 election, which means without winning seats, neither will be able to bring in list MPs.

Maori Party president Tukoroirangi Morgan believes Maori disunity ‘gifted' the seats to Labour in 2014.

'Maori must ask themselves just what 80 years of allegiance to Labour has bought them. The alliance grew out of necessity, but it did not stop the last Labour Government from legislating another raupatu or confiscation through the Foreshore and Seabed Act.”

Labour candidate for Waiariki Tamati Coffey believes the Maori Party has failed to bring any real benefits to the Maori people.

'After nine years in power the Maori Party has gone from ‘independent voice' to a nodding head dog on the dashboard of the National Party. Today's deal does nothing to change that.

'Ineffective and ornamental, they have overseen our people becoming the stars for child obesity, mental health and education statistics for all the wrong reasons, while we are locked out of dreams of home ownership and left to face rising medical costs and rates of homelessness.”

He says the agreement now means a vote for Mana or Maori is a vote for more of the same. But he respects 2014 Mana cadiate Annette Sykes' call for a change of government in the last election.

'For voters in Waiariki who tautoko that, it's officially a two-horse race. Labour is only alternative and I will be your workhorse.”

His priorities are making housing, employment, health and education accessible and affordable for all.

'We need to say to the Maori Party this deal has no mana, and for the sake of our whanau, I will be leading a strong campaign to put our people first.”

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