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Labour MP Shane Jones is keen to clear the air in the party’s Maori caucus room over the leadership race.
Mr Jones had the support of Te Tai Tonga MP Rino Tirikatene, who nominated him for the race, and new Ikaroa Rawhiti MP Meka Whaitiri.
But Hauraki Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta and Manurewa MP Louisa Wall very publicly distanced themselves from him and threw their weight behind New Lynn MP David Cunliffe, the eventual winner.
Mr Jones says he doesn’t know the reason for their position, and he turned down an offer from within Tainui to intercede.
"Number one I’m not from Tainui, number two I’m a list member, and number three, my mission is well beyond Nanaia, well beyond Louisa. I’m about finding a reason to get 820,000 New Zealanders re-engaged in democracy and pick up at least 50 percent of that 800,000 vote," he says.
Mr Jones says it was clear from the campaign meetings that party support was firmly with David Cunliffe, and it’s essential the whole Labour caucus now gives the new leader their total support.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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