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Politics | Marama Fox

2017 Election prime focus for Māori Party

The Māori Party says it is time Māori voters recognised that there is no other political party in Parliament that comes from a Māori perspective or considers their concerns a priority.

This weekend the Māori Party is holding its AGM at Te Ōhākī Marae in Huntly where they will review its first year since the General Election 2014 and plan their future.

The agenda will focus on whānau wellbeing, housing and better use and retention of Māori land.

Māori Party co-leader, Te Ururoa Flavell says, “We are the only political party in this country focused on supporting Māori-driven strategies in housing, education, family violence and the revival of our language.

“Like most kaupapa Māori organisations, we punch well above our weight.”

The Party is particularly proud of their advocacy surrounding whānau poverty which resulted in an increase to benefit levels for beneficiaries with tamariki in this year's Budget.

Māori Party co-leader, Marama Fox says, “We were instrumental in securing that benefit increase and we will continue to advocate for whānau enduring hardship in this country. As the only non-Ministerial MP on the Ministerial Committee on Poverty, I’ll continue to keep the pressure on this Government to reduce poverty.”

Flavell is also leading two major legislative reforms on the laws governing Māori land and the Māori Language Bill.

He says the biggest challenge for them going forward is to secure more Māori Party MPs at the next General Election.

“We know there’s a lot of support for what we’re doing in Parliament, from both Māori and non-Māori, so our challenge is to translate that support in to votes.”