Mana and Māori Party executives met in Whangarei today to further develop a political merger. Mana leader Hone Harawira and Māori Party president Tukoroirangi Morgan met in July this year after the two parties put aside their differences to discuss the possible merger.
Mana and the Māori Party walking the same path.
“I've just seen on my Facebook as we were walking here the joyful support from our people to see us standing as one with the common aim of returning the Māori seats to the Māori world,” says Harawira.
The Māori Party president says their key goal is to overturn Labour's stronghold on the Māori seats.
“Our key focus to work as one to organise and realise this goal and to work together in the Tai Tokerau electorate. We've committed to it to secure a future for our Māori political parties,” says Morgan.
“Both executives are meeting together talking and agreeing and the communication will continue so there will be no disputes from here as we move towards the elections,” says Harawira
Further meetings of the executive are planned to finalise a covenant for Māori voters to see the substance and the goals set for this working relationship of the Māori Party and Mana to regain Māori seats.
“We want to give dignity to the Māori seats by returning back to Māori as opposed to being held by Pākehā political parties,” says Harawira.
“It's a significant meeting showing unity in spirit and vision to return the control of power to Māori,” says Morgan.