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Jobs, homes and schools are the big three for Mana president Annette Sykes as she sets out to take the Waiariki seat from the Maori Party.
Ms Sykes came second last election to Te Ururoa Flavell, but she says this time she has been campaigning and fundraising for three years, so she’s ready for September.
She says the region has been hit hard by National’s policies, with one in five young Maori out of work.
It’s also affected by changes in state housing, including tougher eligibility criteria and plans to cut the number of state rental houses in many smaller communities.
"We’re going to demand 10,000 state homes. We’re going to stop the privatisation. A whole street in Huntly is going to be sold under this current government. Whole streets in Ford Block (Rotorua) are going to be sold off to private interests, not to community organisations, and that is the king of agenda we are going to stop so families have housing and homeless people can actually get homes," Ms Sykes says.
The party also wants to see free education, including the end of student loans.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ANNETTE SYKES CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTc5ODc=
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