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Labour MP Peeni Henare says the Maori Party is failing to stand up for Maori.
He says under Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell the amount available for Maori broadcasting is going down in real terms.
He says there is no new money for Maori initiatives, and Mr Flavell just shuffles money around his portfolio to create an illusion of progress.
The Maori Party also doesn’t have any answers in the face of rising Maori unemployment.
"My question is if you are at the table with this Government, then why aren't we seeing more results? Why aren't you speaking out on these issues? Because they make regular claims about being at the table, ki te teepu was the catchphrase. Well, sometimes you have to stick by your principles and if that means you're not at the table but you are standing up for our people, that's better than being there and compromising," Mr Henare says.
He says the rewrite of the Maori Language (Te Reo Maori) Bill still misses the mark and won’t achieve what it claims it will.
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