Labour’s Links With Maori Tested Says New MP

Labour’s traditional relationship with Maori has been tested by the foreshore and seabed debate and Tuhoe raids, Labour’s newest MP said today.

In her maiden speech Meka Whaitiri paid tribute to the Labour Party’s past and its founding role to make change to help the poor.

She spoke of Labour’s long links with Maori and said this had been tested by the Foreshore and seabed legislation and the Tuhoe raids and could no longer be taken for granted. However it was important for Maori and Labour to move on.

The future “gamebreaker” was the growth of the Maori economy and said what was needed in her wide spread electorate was sustainable jobs.

Whaitiri said she would work with any party which had policies which would create jobs and a better life for her constituents.

Earlier are after a very long Question Time Speaker David Carter granted an urgent debate on the Fonterra botulism scare.

At 7.30pm Parliament begin the committee stage debate on the Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill.

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