MPs head to Ratana
Politicians will tomorrow descend in force on Ratana Pa for a day of celebrations and, more importantly, campaigning.
Politicians will tomorrow descend in force on Ratana Pa for a day of celebrations and, more importantly, campaigning.
Every January MPs flock to the township near Wanganui to commemorate the birth of the founder of the Ratana religious movement, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, and speak to locals about their political plans.
Prime Minister John Key is due to speak in the late morning, and is expected to talk about his party's aspirations for all New Zealanders, including Maori.
He is also expected to talk briefly about the $2.7 million Ratana housing project the Government announced before Christmas.
The Ratana visit comes amid fresh questions over the Maori Party and National coalition.
Maori MP Hone Harawira is facing a complaint from caucus colleagues after he wrote in a newspaper column that the party had become too wrapped up with National and was supporting anti-Maori policies.
Mr Key last week said the coalition had allowed the Maori Party to advance its agenda and that Mr Harawira should not be taken too seriously.
"In the two and a bit years we've been together, we've proven that we can make progress in areas that are very important," Mr Key said.
"The question I think Hone Harawira has to ask himself is 'would it have been better for the Maori Party to have been a voice in opposition but unable to achieve a lot, or to have made some of the gains that they've made in the time that they've spent in Government with National?' I'd strongly suggest that the latter position has seen much greater gains achieved for Maori."
Labour leader Phil Goff is expected to stay clear of party politics and focus his speech on the impact of the rising cost of living is having on families.
He is also likely to talk about Labour's links with Maori and point out it has election candidates with Ratana connections.
NZPA
Sun, 23 Jan 2011
Sun, 23 Jan 2011
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MPs head to Ratana
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