November 05, 2014
Panoho keen to talk up party


The new secretary of the Maori Party says she wants to make sure Maori people are made aware of the party's achievements as they happen.
Amokura Panoho was picked to replace long-serving secretary Helen Leahy, who continues as the party's parliamentary chief of staff.
Ms Panoho, who is also active in Maori business development, Maori tourism and the Parihaka Papakainga Trust, says her main task will be to manage the party organisation and provide support to the national executive.
She says while Labour now holds six of the seven Maori seats, they are on the opposition benches while the Maori Party has two MPs able to make change as part of the Government.
"You know that's been our whole kaupapa, it's about having a voice in goverment. I suppose the obligation for me, in this role, and working with the new vice president and our new co-leaders, is to get better at telling the achievements that we have undertaken because we've definitely paid the price for our peoples lack of knowledge about that contribution," she says.
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