The political contest across the Māori electorates is intensifying as voters weigh up key showdowns in Te Tai Tonga, Te Tai Hauāuru, Hauraki-Waikato, and Waiariki.
This week’s episode of He Aha Te Whakatau deep-dived into the pivotal moments shaping these races, examining how candidates are performing under the spotlight and what recent national leader debates mean for Māori communities.
Electorate formats under scrutiny
Panellists discussing the Waiariki electorate debate praised the exceptional calibre of candidates stepping forward this election cycle.
“Māori candidates come at quite a high calibre - ehara i te mea he tangata noa ēnei,” noted Rukuwai Tipene-Allen. “He tino tangata ēnei e mārama ana ki ngā kaupapa here o ō rātau pāti.”
However, the discussions also raised broader questions regarding whether traditional debate formats remain effective. Senior political reporter Māni Dunlop questioned if current structures still serve voters adequately.
“I don’t know if this format is fit for purpose anymore. Like, do we get the most out of these candidates through this particular format?” Dunlop said, adding, “It’s really hard to give any definitive answers when you’re in the positions that they’re in.”
A uniquely Māori approach in Hauraki-Waikato
In the Hauraki-Waikato electorate, incumbent MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke and Labour candidate Kingi Kiriona went head-to-head. Senior news producer Whatitiri Te Wake described the encounter as a masterclass in cultural political engagement, conducted in ‘a very Māori way’.
“Māori debate is whanaungatanga,” Te Wake explained. “Whilst they’re out there trying to win the hearts and the minds of the people, you can see them look at [each other] and then also talk about ngā hiahia o Te Arikinui.”
Observers noted the significance behind both candidates contesting the seat with the blessing of Te Arikinui Kuini Ngāwai hono i te pō, on the shared premise that they must work together.
“That was really quite Māori and quite beautiful to witness,” Te Wake said.
Leaders’ spark debate over Māori policy
Shifting to the national stage, the first TVNZ Leaders Debate between Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins also dominated political discussions this week, prompting scrutiny over how each party’s platform addresses Māori issues.
During the debate, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins addressed ongoing terminology debates:
“Co-governance has become quite a divisive word - I wanna see Māori being well-catered for by our public services.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon maintained that public services should be distributed according to need rather than race, while emphasising his stance against prejudiced rhetoric.
“Where I see racist remarks, as I’ve seen from Winston Peters in recent times, I call it out,” Luxon explained. He added, “I would love to have learnt more te reo Māori and I would like to think I would do that in the future.”
Analysing the leaders’ performances, Dunlop pointed out an ambiguity in Labour’s messaging.
“In the clip we saw about raising the Treaty issues, which has been so dominant in the last three years, I think it was a real missed opportunity from Chris Hipkins to really kind of make a really clear stance on what his party stands for,” she said.
As political arguments sharpen across both the regions and national television, the ultimate question remains: He aha te whakatau?
