April 10, 2018
Maori tick best for Maori
The president of the Maori Party is encouraging Maori to switch to the Maori electoral roll.
Maori voters currently have the option to switch rolls, which only comes after every five-yearly census.
Che Wilson says if every Maori was on the Maori roll there would be 17 or 18 Maori seats in parliament, putting in MPs with a clear mandate to promote Maori positions.
"Maori have 100 percent say over those seats. With the general electorates they are just another voters. And the Maori seats uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi, because they represent Maori and the general seats represent our treaty partner," he says.
Mr Wilson says many younger Maori aren’t told when they first enrol that they can sign onto the Maori roll, so the Maori option is a chance to fix that initial choice.
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