October 08, 2013
Candidate out to teach Maori
It’s the last day to mail back local government election ballots, and a Far North District Council mayoral candidate says Maori in the north need to realise they have a real chance of getting their candidates through.
Reuben Taipari Porter says there’s an unprecedented number of Maori standing in the region, and given the high Maori population, they would have a chance if only other Maori got out and voted.
He says many Pakeha on the campaign trail have endorsed his policies, but he’s not begging for their votes.
"What’s more important is that our people understand how to vote. Even if they vote against me I don’t really care. I just want my people to understand that they can own this system, they can own this process, and we can get a real say in what the character of our country and what our region’s going to look like," Mr Porter says.
If voting forms aren’t posted back today, they can be delivered by hand to designated polling stations until Saturday.
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