May 27, 2014
Sykes ready to defend Internet-Mana merger
Mana president and Waiariki candidate Annette Sykes says she’s looking forward to debating the Mana-Internet Party merger with opponent Te Ururoa Flavell when they have their first public contest at a Grey Power hui on Friday.
She says the Maori Party co-leader’s rhetoric on the deal was illogical.
Mr Flavell claims the alliance, which will see the parties remaining separate but running a combined list for this year’s election, jeopardises Maori seats.
He says it’s wrong for a Maori candidate to drag someone else into parliament from another party who is not Maori, and the arrangement will give ammunition to those who want to abolish the seats.
If Mana leader Hone Harawira retains Te Tai Tokerau, the combined parties would need to get more than 1.6 percent of the party voter to get another MP.
In 2011 Mana won just 1.08 percent of the party vote.
The Internet Party has the second list position and Mana the third and fourth.
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