Co-governance to cost of living – what are the big issues for Māori voters?
ANALYSIS : Welcome to the 2023 general election for Aotearoa, where the bread-and-butter issues are literally about bread and butter. Specifically: that we can no longer afford them . Read this story in te reo Maori and English here . / Panuitia tenei i te reo Maori me te reo Pakeha ki konei . A March report by ASB economists said increasing costs for households exceeded the rate of inflation in 2022 (thanks a lot, interest rates!). They expect a repeat in 2023. Should Maori voters focus entirely on the economy who is the best bet to fix it, and/or ease the worst impacts for those on lower incomes; or should they mix in other broader goals for Ngai Maori, for iwi, hapu, and whanau? The abiding question for Maori voters, on how they balance their priorities, is as stark as it has ever been. READ MORE: * Maori can now switch electoral rolls with ease - but will it encourage more voters? * Likelihood that Te Pati Maori will be 2023 'kingmaker' increasing * If Labour fears a co-governance debate will damage them, its too late However, the latest 1News Kantar Public Poll, shows that so long as Te Pati Maori keeps a Maori seat (its the Waiariki incumbent) it could become vital in forming the next government. And our own interviews show that Maori care about food affordability, housing, and the myriad entanglements of the cost of living, but dont lose sight of broader goals either. Co-governance, Te Tiriti, iwi and hapu self-determination and the importance of Maori electorates were all mentioned. In fact, for some, they were actually the biggest issues. In a nutshell, as the polling and the results of our own interviews show, in 2023 there could still be room for bread and butter, and a boil-up of wider ao-Maori issues as well. Te Matahiapo Hynes (Rangitane, Ngati Kahungunu), 22, student at Te Herenga Waka, and lives in Poneke. Is on the Maori roll: Being on the Maori roll was about being able to vote squarely for Maori people and have Maori-specific representation. We have generic Maori MPs who sit in general electorates, but they are not accountable to Maori constituents specifically. Biggest issue: Im trying not to be a hoha here for you, theres definitely the short-term issues housing poverty, homelessness, cost of living. Those are things that are common amongst a lot of people. But the issues that I like to focus on are the longer-term issues that we dont even talk about even in election years. Honouring Te Tiriti; transforming our constitutional arrangements, so it reflects Te Tiriti, He Whakaputanga, the declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples tikanga and kawa. Its really hard for everybody to be convinced that is an issue when they cant pay for food, when they are struggling to pay for rent. But what are we doing to help increase the capability and capacity of whanau, hapu, iwi to determine their own futures? Basically Im concerned with what policies are supporting that idea of our people being given the resources to determine their own futures and solve their own problems. Sharn Maree Cassady (Ngapuhi, Te Whanau-a-Apanui), 39, project manager, preservation of matauranga Maori. Lives in the Wellington region. Is on the Maori roll. Biggest issue: Co-governance. Those who oppose this, tout it from an 'us and them' lens, which is incredibly divisive. Having iwi representatives sitting at the table isn't taking anything away from those already there, nor the constituents they represent. It reflects obligations on both sides under Te Tiriti. We are spending more time debating what co-governance looks like than we are addressing real issues like water infrastructure, the cost of living, rising mental health statistics and climate change. Other issues: Low voter turnout: Our current government is a reflection of how 42% of Aotearoa voted in 2019 [local body elections]. Maori in every age demographic voted less than our non-Maori counterparts. I'd love to see what it looks like if we doubled that. Climate is a big worry for our household and we will be voting for those we have confidence in addressing climate-change related issues. Healthcare: Medical facilities are understaffed, overworked and we are seeing the flow-on effects with longer wait times and continued inequity for Maori. Wharenui Hawera (Ngati Awa, Tainui), 29, student, Hamilton. On the Maori roll. Biggest issues for Maori: Maori having a bigger say in Aotearoa, especially around land and things that are rightfully ours ... just examples like Ihumatao, things like that those are great example of us standing up for what we believe in and whats rightfully ours. Seabed and foreshore dating all the way back to the Treaty. It says in black and white whats rightfully ours and yet to this day it still isnt abided by. Shaelyn, mum (Ngati Awa, Ngati Tuwharetoa), Lower Hutt. On the Maori roll. Biggest issue: Housing and rising inflation. Maori dont have their say in a lot of things, so its good to have a Maori electorate where a lot of Maori people can vote for who they want to vote for. I know housing is short I definitely know that its a priority, I guess. Thats what I really want for a lot of families a lot of housing. Foodwise, as well inflation is pretty costly. I know a lot of families are struggling, especially Maori families and Pasifika families as well, they struggle a lot. I think that really needs to be dealt with as well. Mii Teokotai (Ngati Ranginui, Aitutaki, Ra Kahanga, Manihiki, Rarotonga, Samoa), 32, student, Tokoroa. Is on the general roll but changing to Maori roll for this election is on her to-do list: It was Debbie [Ngarewa-Packer] and Rawiri [Waititi] from Te Pati Maori who brought it to light ... being in Parliament ... for me as a wahine Maori, to see Debbie as someone who surfs, who stands for womens rights and human rights and the ecosystem, and it just feels like they speak my language, and I understand them, and most of the people around me. Biggest issue: It's hard, I think maybe one of the biggest issues is the balance of power between Maori and the Crown. [With more voters in Maori electorates] of course we're going to have more whakaaro Maori, were going to have more people who know and understand our atua, who know and understand the people living in disparity. For me, it's a must. We have to. Were fighting for balance, and we need to keep fighting. additional reporting Katie Doyle, Maxine Jacobs