July 20, 2020
Immigration wrong note in election pitch
Former Mana Motuhake leader Sandra Vercoe-Lee says New Zealand First faces the fight of its life this election.
Aotearoa Tuatahi launched its election campaign at its annual meeting in Auckland yesterday, with leader Winston Peters touting its achievements in Government and immigration reform as the main campaign planks.
Ms Vercoe-Lee says while she has huge respect for the political skills of her former parliamentary benchmate, small parties in Government have a history of being overwhelmed by their larger partner.
She also questions the emphasis on immigration, a staple of New Zealand First election campaigns for two decades.
"This long-surviving, very capable leader is showing his age a little bit. I don't think immigration is even going to be on the radar for Māori or Pākehā this election. This election is going to be about jobs, unemployment, employment and the economy," Ms Vercoe-Lee says.
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