Harete Hipango and Hinurewa Te Pou have come out fighting for the National Party, setting the record straight on it’s achievements for Māori.

National launched it Māori seats campaign and the candidates ahead of its conference in Whānganui-ā-tara this weekend.

Incumbent MP, Harete Hipango who is contesting Te Tai Hauauru pushed back on suggestions that National’s relationship with Māori is poor.

“Some examples of the Party’s recognition of Māori in terms of not just who we are but also our potential and the realisation of that is the Māori women’s welfare league, Māori Wardens, Kohanga Reo, Broadcasting, Education”. says Harete Hipango.

Māori have also settled more with Treaty claims under a National Government says Hinurewa Te Hau who is running in Tāmaki Makaurau.

“You have to go back to the early days and what National has done in the time of Sir Doug Graham and Chris Finlayson.” she says.

“It’s been a distorted stereotyping of the National Party and our contribution to Māori communities, but what is good for Māori is good for all New Zealand and Whānau Ora is an exemplar of that.” adds Harete Hipango.

But the Party’s mixed messaging leaves Māori voters unconvinced, even confused. This week Leader Chris Luxon weighed in on the Government’s attempts to address disadvantages faced by Māori in the health system. Luxon claiming the equity assessment tool was promoting racial discrimination. Luxon also says a National Government will overturn the Māori Health Authority and that it’s opposed to increased representation for Māori in co-governance arrangements.

The last time the National contested Māori electorates was in 1999. The return of the seats is the result of fierce lobbying from senior MP Hon Judith Collins. She says she’s proud to have pushed for the seats because it’s the right thing to do.

Te Tai Hauauru looks likely to be a tight race with the announcement that Labour’s Soraya Peke Mason is contesting seat only. This means she has no list ranking safety net to fall back on if she doesn’t win the election.

Soraya Peke Mason is the second Māori MP to run list only.  Nanaia Mahuta is also running seat only.

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