Tariana Turia: Labour doesn’t deserve our vote   20 Apr 2014

Maori Party Co-leader Tariana Turia told TVNZ’s Q+A programme that Labour doesn’t deserve the Maori vote.

‘I don’t believe they deserve our vote any more. I don’t believe they deserve our vote, I don’t believe they deserve the vote of the Pasifika people, because if there's one thing I've noticed since coming through and being a Minister this time, is the very very poor resourcing of all Pasifika health, social services, you name it.’

When asked whether she is worried that the Labour party might take a large portion of the Maori Party vote , she said, ‘I think that our people have to ask themselves that for all the years that Labour were in government, the nine years of plenty, what is it that changed in their lives? What is it that Labour did that made them feel that things had changed for them, and have made a difference?’

Tariana Turia denies that a vote for the Maori Party is a vote for National.

‘No, a vote for the Maori Party is a vote for a party that is really clear about its intention, and it is to serve the interests of tangata whenua in the first instance, because we believe in doing that we create a great environment for New Zealanders to have a future together. ‘

Tariana Turia says the Maori Party will go with anyone who can form a government.

She concedes her party support has been hurt by the relationship with National.

‘Only because other politicians portray it as such. When we're out there in the community amongst our people, our people have been really pleased with the gains that we have made.’

She says the Northern Club dinner was about getting people along who had the resource to support the Maori Party.

‘We've never purported to represent all poor people, because Maori people are on a major scale, so we've got very poor, and we've got very middle class, and so we've always tried to represent all of their interests. When you're fundraising you hardly go to the poor.’

Tariana Turia says they have had two fundraisers and they asked the people who agreed to come to the dinner who they would like to speak. ‘Both times they chose John Key.’

See the full Q+A interview on the website: http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/ta-tvnz-index-group-2556429

Add a comment