June 20, 2013
MPs encourage Māori to sign on to roll
Māori parliamentarians and candidates in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election are encouraging Māori to sign up for the Māori roll.
In an open letter, they say tangata whenua are not fully using their right and responsibility to participate at all levels of decision making.
They say the Māori seats, as the vehicle for Māori representation in Parliament, need to increase if Māori interests and aspirations are to be fairly represented.
There are now seven Māori seats in a parliament of 121, but if every Māori voter chose to go on the Māori roll there could be at least 13 Māori seats.
An open letter was signed by Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta, Louisa Wall, Rino Tirikatene, Shane Jones and Moana Mackey, Pita Sharples, Tariana Turia and Te Ururoa Flavell from the Māori Party, Metiria Turei and Denise Roche from the Greens and Mana’s Hone Harawira, as well as candidates Na Raihania, Te Hamua Nikora, Meka Whaitiri and Marama Davidson.
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