August 16, 2013
Samuels back on campaign trail
Nominations have closed for October’s local government elections, with efforts made in some regions to get more Māori on the ballot.
Former Tai Tokerau MP Dover Samuels is making a run for the Northland Regional Council, which he sat on before entering parliament.
He says he was asked to stand by both Māori and Pākehā in the region who believe his experience can help with issues like development, land use and fisheries.
A new group Tu Kotahi, which is trying to get more Northland Māori to both stand and vote, says nine Māori are standing under its banner and several have put their names in independently.
Convenor Mike Kake, who is standing for the Whangarei council, says Māori make up 47 percent of the population of Tai Tokerau, but there was only one Maori on the outgoing council.
Another former MP, Ian Peters, is standing for Whangarei District Council as an independent.
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