General Election 2008
Rahui Reid Katene - Māori Party
Ngati Koata, Ngati Toa, Ngati Kuia, Kai Tahu.
Lawyer, mother of five adult children; grandmother of five mokopuna.
My commitment to the people of Te Tai Tonga is to be an energetic, hard-working MP to give you and your whanau an independent Māori voice in parliament.
Our policies have been developed by our people to uplift whanau, to pave the way for Treaty justice and to bring prosperity to us all.
I believe in upholding indigenous values to ensure our country maintains its natural beauty, prosperity and social justice for all who call Aotearoa home. My commitment to politics is driven by the values passed down from our ancestors. These values have motivated me to work on behalf of our people for all of my life, across legal practice and community development.
I was raised in Nelson, in an intensely political household with a very strong work and iwi/community service ethic. The possibility of change from holding fast to our kaupapa, from speaking up and being active, was the positive energy that fuelled my father, John Hippolite, and his cousin, Aunty Eva Rickard, in the many challenges for justice they were involved with.
The philosophy of the Māori Party encourages us to create effective relationships with each other, based on mutual respect. The kaupapa, our values, restore to us a sense of collective responsibility, they remind us of the value of integrity, honesty and following through on commitments made. We promote the importance of maintaining a clean natural environment for all New Zealanders to enjoy and respect.
I consider Te Tiriti o Waitangi the founding document of our country. It is the context for the relationship that has evolved between our peoples. That relationship means we seek to foster a prosperous economy so that all families have a decent quality of life; to achieve whanau ora.
Dora Roimata Langsbury - Green Party
Key issues facing our people in Te Tai Tonga are education, justice, and protecting the role of Māori in our democracy. The Green Party policy platforms include better funding for tikanga Māori education, and improving outcomes for Māori in the legal system.
We need to focus on building our education system now, to ensure all our children access their right to learn their tikanga and reo, for free, as enshrined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Having to pay exorbitant tertiary fees to learn the reo, (or any other subject), is a disgrace. The Green Party would increase support for tikanga Māori education, and would promote the teaching of te reo and tikanga Māori in all schools. Education is the key to eliminating poverty, and is an investment in our future economic development. In 2006, Māori men made up 50% of the male prison population, while Māori women made up 52% of the female prison population. The legal and prison systems fail Māori. A new justice model that is focused on rehabilitation and restoration for victims is desperately needed. Marae justice and a justice system based on tikanga Māori would play a role in this new justice model. The Green Party acknowledges and supports the efforts within the Māori community to develop models of Māori justice processes.
At a time when the Māori voice in Parliament is threatened by National for political purposes, the Green Party policy is to entrench the seats, and give them the same status as the general seats. Currently Māori representation in Parliament can be repealed by a simple majority, while for the general seats, 75% is required. Metiria Turei has a member's bill ready to go into the ballot,that would reverse this inequity.
Mahara Okeroa - Labour MP for Te Tai Tonga
I am privileged and honoured to represent Te Tai Tonga, a privilege I have never taken for granted.
Whanau in Te Tau Ihu have been telling me that they want their future to be secured. No matter how resilient our economy is in New Zealand, whanau in Te Tau Ihu know they will be affected in the global economic downturn.
For me it is about who Māori in Te Tau Ihu trust our whanau and our country's future with.
Labour has a plan for the future that will take our country and Māori forward by supporting business innovation and growth, education and skills training, and ensuring our whanau are secure for the future.
I want to be a strong advocate for the people of Te Tau Ihu, committed to making sure their issues are raised at the decision- making table and solutions are found that support them and their whanau. The people of Te Tau Ihu will have a real voice of influence in a Labour-led government.
I want to see Māori embracing the opportunities, more and better skills, better jobs and higher wages, building Māori businesses, supporting our incredibly talented and creative people on the local and international stage. I will always, no matter where I am work to support our kaumatua and kuia - they have always provided me with guidance and wisdom when I needed it most. And belief in our rangatahi realising their dreams and aspirations and how they express themselves.
I'm committed to investing in the future of Māori by supporting economic development and the utilisation of their resources. Providing quality, personalised education to tamariki and rangatahi, strong public services including affordable and accessible healthcare for whanau, and financial support to working Māori families will secure the future for the next generation of Māori.
