Candidates seeking to represent Te Tai Hauāuru took centre stage tonight in the first of Māori Television’s election debates. The Labour party’s Adrian Rurawhe and Māori party’s Debbie Ngarewa- Packer presented their aspirations for Te Tai Hauāuru in their opening statements.
On Māori Television's review panel for Te Tai Hauāuru were former Labour MP Georgina Beyer (Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Raukawa) and Te Korimako o Taranaki iwi radio broadcaster Tamsyn Pue (Ngāti Maru Wharanui).
End of Life Referendum
“I often regard Māori as being conservative on those kinds of issues but this (poll result) blew this out of the water and I’m in favour,” Beyer said. “Having a brush with death myself and, frankly, if I had had that law I might have made use of it.
She said it was a very personal issue "and I respect that there are people that don't agree with it at all, because of matters of faith and matters of moral issues.”
Hei tā Pue: “Tino ohorere ahau ki ngā nama i te mea he iwi whakapono te nuinga o mātou e noho mai nā ki te rohe o te Tai Hauāuru. Nō reira kīhai rawa au e tautoko i tērā kaupapa i te mea ko te nuinga o ērā tāngata i pānui i ngā kōrero roto mai ana i taua pire.”
Cannabis Legislation and Control Bill
“I’ll be voting in favour. I certainly believe it should be a health issue and should not be in the criminal courts and for reasons that there is a much better way to deal with it," Beyer said. "I liken it somewhat to the decision over prostitution reform, the moral issues, it was incredibly divisive. Take a responsible way, bring it out into the light, get some regulation on it, you know what you’ve got, you know what you’re doing and dealing with. Otherwise, it still exists in that twilight world,” she said.
Party coalitions
On hearing the Maori Party co-leader saying a coalition was possible with Labour, Beyer said: “I think they’ve got more in common in many respects than not. It’s quite positive to see that possibility and many Māori certainly in the Tai Hauāuru electorate will be happy to hear that that is a possibility."
However, she said her advice to the Māori Party if it did happen to get in," spend your first term on the crossbenches, get your feet under the table and understand the system entirely.”
Hei tā Pue: “Kei te tino tautoko au i tērā, kei te rongo i ngā synergies, i te kotahitanga ki waenga i ngā pāti e rua. Kei te tino tautoko ahau i ērā whakaaro. Heoi anō, kei āwangawanga au nā ngā kōrero a Adrian kei te whai ai i te candidate vote, kātahi, ka rua, ko te pāti. Nōreira ka taea te tuku i a raua tahi ki te whare paremata.”
Performance
“We heard little on policy because they were reacting to poll results," Beyer said.
“From Adrian, of course, we’re hearing what the polling has done and intends to do. It’s the songsheet that they all have to sing off of. You have to remain consistent and the government has continued to achieve that in extraordinary times.”
“I’m impressed with Debbie. I think she’s dignified, she’s certain of what she is saying, she answers quickly and she knows her stuff from her party's perspective,” Beyer said.