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New Labour Party leader Andrew Little says the party will never again get as offside with Maori voters as it did with the Foreshore and Seabed Act.
Mr Little today announced his new cabinet, including Maori development spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta at number four and Kelvin Davis at number 8 with responsibilty for Police, Corrections, Domestic and Sexual Violence, Associate Regional Development, and Maori Education,
He says Labour has a strong line-up of talented Maori MPs coming in both Maori and general seats, and Maori are playinng a greater role in the party.
Speaking with Radio Waatea host Willie Jackson, he sought to distance himself from Labour's response a decade ago to a court finding that Ngati Apa could pursue a claim through the courts to customary ownership of part of the coast.
"To me as a lawyer the idea of legislating to prevent anybody to assert their rights or even take a case to court, that's not something we should ever do lightly, and I know the climate at the time, there was Don Brash whipping up the anti-Maori sentiment, I have some real doubts about the political judgments made at the time. I don't foresee that happening again," he says.
Andrew Little says Labour did well among Maori in the election because working Maori don't see the Maori Party as advocating for them.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW LITTLE CLICK ON THE LINK
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MjQzNTA=
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