22 Sep 2014

Tangata whenua 'unhappy with National'

7:35 pm on 22 September 2014

Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says the fact that Maori voters returned in their droves to the Labour Party proves the majority of tangata whenua are unhappy with the National-led Government.

Nanaia Mahuta.

Nanaia Mahuta. Photo: RNZ

Nearly all of the Maori electorates are now painted red, with six out of the seven seats now held by Labour MPs following the Saturday's general election.

According to results, the majority of voters signed up to the Maori roll also gave their party votes to Labour, the Maori Party, the Greens and New Zealand First.

Nanaia Mahuta says Maori voters were determined to see a change of government and did not want one leading National allowed back in.

She said sadly, however, what was achieved for Labour in the Maori seats could not be the same for the rest of the general electorates across the country.

The Waikato-Tainui MP said her party would get together and see how they can keep the Government accountable to the aspirations of Maori.

Labour also wants to make sure that those issues that are important to tangata whenua remain a priority for the Government, she said.

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