iPredict users forecast Shane Jones to take the Maori Party co-leader's seat, leaving the party with only two MPs.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples says issues affecting his people had put pressure on his party's support arrangement with the government.

Dr Sharples is a Maori Party co-leader but his speech today at an Auckland marae about race relations was in his ministerial role.

He said the support arrangement with the government was "very difficult and stressful" at times.

Te Puni Kokiri (TPK -- the Ministry of Maori Development) put up a business case for Maori Television's Rugby World Cup bid which set out 10 projects it said would boost Maori development.

TPK is putting $3 million of taxpayer money into the MTS bid for local broadcasts of World Cup, a controversial use of public funds which has the backing of Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples.

The business case documents were given to Prime Minister John Key, who said on Monday it was comprehensive.

A defiant Maori Television Service (MTS) says it won't withdraw its bid for free-to-air Rugby World Cup broadcast rights despite the Government backing a rival bid by TVNZ.

In a bizarre twist, the taxpayer-funded networks are competing for the local broadcast rights to 16 All Black games.

The MTS bid is backed by Te Puni Kokiri, the Ministry of Maori Development, which has put up $3 million.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples supports it and didn't tell his cabinet colleagues before the bid went in.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples has apologised to Prime Minister John Key for not discussing the $3 million funding for Maori Televisions (MTS) bid for Rugby World Cup games.

The MTS bid was paid out of Te Puni Kokiri (Ministry for Maori Development) money set aside to foster Maori development and not the $16.5m given to the channel to fund its operation.

Dr Sharples argued it was a good use of money as the games could be used as a platform for promoting the Maori language.