March 13, 2017
Parliament no place to find mana motuhake
Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta says she has never sought endorsement from the Kingitanga and she's not about to start.
King Tuheitia has thrown the election for Hauraki Waikato wide open by telling supporters to vote for Maori Party candidate Rahui Papa rather than his cousin.
Ms Mahuta says his statement upset a lot of people and raised questions about the advice he is getting.
She says it runs counter with the advice she was given starting out, not to drag the Kingitanga into the domain of Pakeha politics.
"But more importantly the solutions the Kingitanga seek around mana motuhake exist outside the parliamentary space so that is the reason why I haven't actively campaigned under a Kingitanga umbrella or with Kingitanga endorsement but more importantly you are there by the individual mandate of voters who believe in the policies you take to the polls and their aspirations," Ms Mahuta says.
She says Rahui Papa was groomed by his elders for roles within the tribe, and there would be a big hole to fill if he went to parliament.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH NANAIA MAHUTA
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