November 07, 2023
Discipline pays off for Te Pāti Māori
Former Mana Motuhake leader Sandra Lee-Vercoe says hard work and discipline swung the election for Te Pāti Māori.
The party took six Māori seats, and Ms Lee-Vercoe says it could have taken Ikaroa-Rāwhiti if it hadn’t tried to pinch the seat by getting incumbent Meka Whaitiri to switch from Labour.
She says it’s been a tough and lonely three years for co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, but they delivered on the campaign trail.
They stood out in the leaders’ debates while other parties quibbled and squabbled.
“They were just driving home policy and because of that they set the debate. nobody wanted to talk about taking GST off food before the Māori Party started pushing it. So the rewards they are reaping this election have been very well earned,” Ms Lee says.
She says the enlarged Māori Party caucus needs to maintain the discipline shown in the past term.