August 17, 2017
Labour protects Te Taitokerau mandate
Labour's Maori campaign strategist denies he's trying to talk the party into letting Mana's Hone Harawira through in Te Taitokerau.
Mr Harawira is promoting a two for one stategy, now that incumbent Kelvin Davis has gone back on the party list.
But Willie Jackson says Labour wants both the list vote and the electorate mandate.
"We can't have Kelvin the deputy leader who loses his seat to Hone Harawira and when he's in cabinet has to go and consult Hone about what the constituents in the north want. He has got the mana and the support of his people and I'm absolutely commited to making him the MP again in the north. This is all just part of the Hone Harawira, Mana – Maori Party strategy and part of that is that they just make stories up," he says.
Willie Jackson says Labour will have two MPs from the north, with Willow Jean Prime set to come in on the list on current polling.
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