August 03, 2016
Members’ voices spark Fox turnaround
Maori Party founder Dame Tariana Turia is backing current co-leader Marama Fox’s turnaround on supporting Helen Clark’s run for UN secretary general.
Back in April Ms Fox told Radio Waatea the way Ms Clark has run the United Nations Development Programme, including standing up for the rights of indigenous people and women, shows she would be credible in the top job.
Now she’s saying Ms Clark’s actions against Maori as the Labour Prime Minister cause her to doubt her attitude toward indigenous peoples.
Dame Tariana says it shows she’s listening to her members.
"I think that she had genuinely believed that it was okay to take that position. What she learned, when they went to the Maori Party hui was that the party themselves were not in favour, which forced her really to retract and to go with what the party were saying," she says.
Dame Tariana says that’s an honourable approach to politics.
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