June 29, 2023
Mahuta throws down wero for electorate
Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says taking herself off the Labour Party list should open a spot for one of the highly-talented Māori standing for election.
She says it’s about supporting the next generation of Maori MPs, and it’s also an expression of confidence in her electorate and in the work the Government has done for Maori.
“Periodically I just make a judgment about what I need to go back to the electorate on and if they believe over the last six years we’ve made good progress for Maori – there’s more to do – and good progress for the country, then this is a very important election. So I came off the list in part for those reasons, to express my confidence in the electorate, that if they continue to show confidence in me I will serve the electorate,” she says.
Nanaia Mahuta won 68 percent of votes cast in the 2020 election giving her a 9,660 vote majority.