Willie Jackson has taken one more potshot at ACT claims of Labour’s “Māori agenda”.
But Act leader David Seymour said Jackson was an ostrich with his head in the sand and couldn’t see the movement for change sweeping the country.
“If Willie Jackson doesn’t think voters are concerned about co-government, then he has nothing to worry about,” Seymour told the Herald.
“Across hundreds of public meetings, Act has heard time and time again from Kiwis who are sick of being divided by race. No one asked them if they wanted this division. The government decided for them.”
Jackson, the Labour Party Māori campaign strategist, wrote: “Three Waters and co-governance were only important election issues to National, Act and NZ First.
“Poll after poll after poll keeps showing that the vast amount of Kiwis don’t consider Three Waters or co-governance major election issues, yet it keeps getting whipped up by corporate dark money to fund astroturf organisations like Groundswell and the Taxpayers’ Union to scare people into believing it’s a radical Māori takeover of democracy!” Jackson wrote on his Facebook page.
“Take CoreData survey of 1026 NZers in May, it found that 88 per cent either completely supported or somewhat supported co-governance, with just 7 per cent opposed! 88 per cent of Kiwis support co-governance and yet the far right pretend it is the main issue Kiwis are concerned about.
“When we argue Act, National and NZ First have race-baited this election, we mean it.
“They have each pandered to this type of conspiracy and have each pushed for it in their own unique ways. The reality always was that Three Waters and co-governance were structures already built by National and Act to express the obligations of the Treaty.
“Labour simply took those structures to their next logical progression. No one was taking anything that wasn’t already promised in the Treaty.
“The idea there’s a secret Māori agenda to steal the water and democracy is so absurd it makes me laugh, yet some Kiwis are convinced these conspiracies are true.
‘Malicious interests’
“The vast majority of Kiwis are good, honest folk who strive hard and ask for little in return. They want to work together, not against each other, yet there are malicious interests who have funded misinformation campaigns under the guise of debate to promote a list of falsehoods and peddle anti-Māori rubbish.
“You can vote against this race-baiting campaign of falsehoods by voting Labour, Green or Māori Party right now.”
Seymour said he makes no apologies for calling out race-based policies.
“One month ago a The Post/Freshwater poll showed most Kiwis support ACT’s proposal to finally have a say on co-governance. Forty-eight per cent of respondents want to vote in ACT’s referendum, while only 17 per cent disagree.
“Baseless accusations of race-baiting from the man who told Parliament a month ago ‘Māori do have a separate set of rights’ won’t stop Act from continuing to raise this issue.
“We must appreciate cultures and celebrate people’s differences without offering them different sets of rights based on factors beyond their control. Where will New Zealand be in 50 years’ time if the current path continues, where Kiwis are offered different rights based on their ancestry?”
-NZME