Mike's Minute: Has the Māori Party been a success?

So given the original Māori Party was formed in 2004, would we call it a success? 

A party for Māori. What have they achieved? 

Have they done more damage than good? Do we differentiate between Māori and "Māori". By that I mean Māori who aren't as angsty as some and are perfectly happy on the general roll. 

Is the Māori movement generally just for the agitators? And as such, you have people with very specific agendas, and those agendas are almost certain to clash. 

I have no doubt the Māori Party in their current iteration will implode this election. I think everyone does. I have little doubt Labour will scoop most of the support back up. 

The same Labour Party that got trounced last election because the Māori Party 2.0 was the repository of so much hope and promise. 

The history of Māori roll voting is mad. They were Labour forever, until they went with NZ First, and then Labour, until Māori Party Part One came along, and then Labour, and then NZ First, until the Māori Party Part Two came along. 

Is the Māori vote a cheap date-type affair? Flash a bit of bling, say something random, and you can reel them in. How else to explain the wild gyrations in direction? 

On a broader question, just what exactly have the Māori seats delivered, specifically, ever, under any party, for anyone? 

Is the mistake the race bit? 

Pita Sharples is not Rawiri Waititi. Tariana Turia is not Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, or Dover Samuels, or Tu Wylie, or Tuku Morgan. But because they all happen to be Māori they should all, apparently, be the same. 

Is that the mistake? Race is first, second and third. Ideas, policies and visions come a long way down the list. After you have all arrived as Māori you suddenly realise you don’t actually have a lot in common and as a result you fall out. 

Because that is the undeniable outworking of the Māori vote and the Māori parties. 

The vote swings wildly, and quality and delivery even more wildly, then you get someone like Kapa-Kingi who is but another sad chapter we have seen before. 

It all ends the same way, in a great big shambolic mess. 

So 20 years and counting – what's the point? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Given the original Maori Party was formed bright go back
to two thousand and four, let's call it. So they've
been around how long twenty ish years? Let's call it
twenty years? Would we call it a success? The Marray
Party a party for Maori? What are they achieved? Have
they done more damage than good? There's a question do
we differentiate, say, between Marie and Marie and by that
I mean Murray who aren't as angsty as some and

(00:20):
are perfectly happy on The general rule is the Maori
movement generally just for agitators, and as such you have
people with very specific agendas and those agendas are almost
certain to clash. See. I got no doubt the Maori
Party and their current iteration will implode this election. I
think everyone does. Basically, I've got little doubt Labour's going
to scoop up most of the support, the same Labour
party that got Trout's last election, because the Marray Party

(00:41):
two point zero was the repository of so much hope
and promise. Apparently are the history of Maury roll voting.
It's mad, absolutely mad. Labor forever voted Labor forever until
New Zealand first came along, until then Labour came along
until the Marry Party Part one came along, and then
Labor and then New Zealand first until Mary Party Part
two came along. It's the Maori vote. Is the Maori
vote a cheap date type of heir? You know, you

(01:02):
flash a bit of bling and say something random so
you can reel them in. How else do you explain
the wild gyrations in direction on a broader question? Just
what exactly have the Maori seats delivered specifically ever, under
any party, for anyone? Is the mistake? I was thinking
to myself yesterday. The race bit see Peter Sharple's is
not Raweri whitea tea Tarranaturia, is not Debbie Packer or

(01:25):
Dover Samuels, or too Wiley or too Ko Morgan. But
because they all happen to be Maori, they should all
apparently be the same. Is that the mistake? Race is first, second,
and third ideas, policies, visions, They come a long way
down the list. After you've all arrived as Maori, you
suddenly realize you don't actually have a lot in common,
and as a result you fall out. Because that's the

(01:46):
undeniable outworking of the Maori vote. The Marray parties. The
vote swings wildly in quality and delivery even more wildly.
KAPPAKINGI is but another sad chapter that we've seen many
times before. It all ends the same way, in a great, big,
shambolic mess. So twenty years in counting, what's the point.
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