Listen Now: 
Former candidate Rawiri Waititi is considering a run for Waiariki in the September 19 election – but this time for the Māori Party.
Mr Waititi was the Labour candidate for the seat in 2014, securing just 5837 votes, 4000 fewer than the Maori Party’s Te Ururoa Flavell.
He switched parties in time for the Māori Party’s rout the last election.
But he says taking on Labour’s Tamati Coffey for the seat is about standing up for the aspirations of Maori as a people.
"This is not about Labour and it's not about National. This is about us as Maori, This is about us as a Maori nation standing up for ourselves and advocating for ourselves and believing in ourselves that we will determine our orange, our well being, for our people and for our families. This inquiry report into Oranga Tamariki is a huge example. That’s been led by us," Mr Waititi says.
!["p_facebook"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/facebook.jpg")
& !["p_twitter"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/twitter.jpg")
Copyright © 2020, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
