November 09, 2017
Lower North Island logical for eighth Maori seat
Maori advocacy group Te Ata Tino Toa is picking if next year’s Maori option results in an eighth Maori seat, it would be created in the lower North Island.
The option will follow the March census, and gives Maori voters a chance to switch between the Maori and general rolls.
Te Ata Tino Toa intends to promote the switch, and it will also encourage people are not registered to sign up.
Spokesperson Te Ao Pritchard says the logical place for a new seat would be one that includes Wairarapa, Wainuiomata, Lower and Upper Hutt, Porirua, Kapiti, Palmerston North, and Whanganui.
That leaves Wellington Central to pad out the numbers for the mainly South Island seat of Te Tai Tonga, while Te Tai Hauauru becomes a western seat taking in Taranaki, the King Country and Taupo.
She says the big block of votes in Te Atatu would shift from Te Taitokerau to Tamaki Makaurau, which would lose Manurewa to Hauraki-Waikato.
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