September 28, 2023
Māori Nats to redefine co-governance
National’s Christchurch Central candidate, Dale Stephens, says the party’s senior Māori members will try to preserve elements of co-governance.
National and ACT have used co-governance as a wedge issue over the past three years, using it to attack Labour’s water infrastructure and health reforms.
But Mr Stephens say Tama Potaka, Shane Reti and himself have experience of working with Māori which they will bring to the coalition.
“The first thing the likes of Tama and myself will need to be doing is getting the definitions very clear. The term co-governance has been misappropriated for the past five years. (Former National Treaty of Waitangi negotiations minister) Chris Finlayson brought through co-management principles for the use and management and sharing of natural resources. Somehow they have moved that from being co-management to co-governance,” he says.
Dale Stephens is a 29 on National’s list and highly likely to be in parliament on current polling.