Te Tai Tokerau race speeds up
The race for the Te Tai Tokerau seat will move up a gear today, with the Maori Party set to select its candidate and Labour to launch its campaign.
The race for the Te Tai Tokerau seat will move up a gear today, with the Maori Party set to select its candidate and Labour to launch its campaign.
Independent MP Hone Harawira forced the byelection when he resigned from Parliament this month.
Mr Harawira, who left the Maori Party in February, has said winning the byelection would give him a mandate as leader of his newly-formed Mana party.
Both Labour and the Maori Party will contest the seat.
Labour Leader Phil Goff will be in west Auckland today, helping to put up the first of the party's hoardings in support of candidate Kelvin Davis.
The party's senior MPs will hold a front-bench meeting and take part in a series of events in the Maori electorate in the afternoon.
Mr Davis has said he is looking forward to contesting the by-election.
"I think people are looking for a new direction," he said.
"Somebody who is focused on the future, somebody who is focused on Maori potential rather than looking backwards over our shoulder at Maori grievance and our sorry past."
Meanwhile, the Maori Party is expected to select its candidate by tonight, with actor Waihoroi Shortland, lawyer Mere Mangu and Whangarei Maori Party official Solomon Tipene to be interviewed at Waitangi today.
The party said it would announce its candidate tomorrow.
NZPA
Tue, 24 May 2011
Tue, 24 May 2011
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Te Tai Tokerau race speeds up
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