Summarised by Centrist
A taxpayer-funded, half-hour ad featuring activist Tame Iti urging Māori to switch to the Māori roll has triggered a political scramble over whether the campaign crossed the line into partisan promotion.
The ad was commissioned by the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, chaired by Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, a former Te Pāti Māori candidate. John Tamihere is also CEO.
“If you’re going to go on the general roll, you’re going into basically the mainstream parties. Māori issues never come to the fore in the mainstream parties,” she said.
Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, has launched an independent review into allegations that Whānau Ora funds were misused for electioneering and to support Moana Pasifika, with Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka seeking urgent advice on whether contractual obligations were breached.
“If public funding that’s meant to help whānau in need has been used improperly, that’s unacceptable,” Potaka said. He wants answers as soon as possible.
Billed as New Zealand’s longest ever political ad, the campaign features Iti reading out the names of people recently joining the Māori roll.
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour said government departments should not try to influence the very process that holds them accountable. “The Electoral Commission does not encourage people to vote one way or another.”
The campaign marks the 50th anniversary of the Māori Electoral Option. Raukawa-Tait framed it as a push for what she called MMP, meaning More Māori in Parliament.
Read more over at RNZ and NewstalkZB
