11 Sep 2014

Call for Labour to reveal deal prospects

8:04 pm on 11 September 2014

Maori Party Te Tai Tokerau candidate Te Hira Paenga is demanding Labour comes clean on whether the party will work with his party after the general election.

Maori Party Te Tai Tokerau candidate Reverend Te Hira Paenga.

A billboard campaign for Maori Party Te Tai Tokerau candidate Reverend Te Hira Paenga. Photo: SUPPLIED

Mr Paenga said he would be prepared to pull or change his newspaper campaign advertisements if Labour Party leader David Cunliffe takes an unequivocal stand on the issue.

The ad suggests, under the Maori Party, it could work with whichever party ends up in power and would ensure Te Tai Tokerau descendants are represented in Parliament.

Te Hira Paenga said the ads will run for the next two weeks in Northland and Auckland until Mr Cunliffe declares whether or not he will work with the Maori Party.

He said while Labour has declared it would not form an alliance with his party, he does not believe Mr Cunliffe would go back into opposition just to make a political point.

Mr Cunliffe has not responded to a request for comment.

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