It's been nearly nine years since the Māori Party teamed up with National to form a Government. With just months until the September general election, the question is whose table does the Māori Party want to be seated at, and what influence will Māori voters have in that decision?
Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell told Three's The Hui that if Labour is in a position to form a Government and reached out to the Māori Party after the election, he would seek guidance from the Māori Party's membership.
"We would be going back to our people and saying, 'Here's the invitation, it's arrived… You've told us in the past you want us to be influential, therefore let's make a considered decision.'"
However he also didn't rule out working with the National Party to raise funds for the Māori Party's election war chest, as the Māori Party did last election.
In a wide-reaching interview, the Minister of Māori Development also discussed Whānau Ora and the cancellation of an iwi-run Māori support service at Rotorua Hospital.
When asked about the recent reconciliation ceremony at Parikaha, Mr Flavell's response was solemn: "It was pretty heart-wrenching to be truthful… You can't get away from the notion of sadness and despair."
He said the ceremony is a good start to reconciling the relationship between Taranaki and the Crown.
The Hui
