30 June 2004

Te Tai Hauauru By-election & Party Launch Media Backgrounder

* Te Tai Hauauru By-election Update * Election Day Organisation * Launch of Maori Party

Te Tai Hauauru By-election Update

The Maori Party has almost 400 door to door canvassers out this week visiting homes of Maori voters in the Te Tai Hauauru electorate. We are on schedule to complete the visits of over 80% of the 17,000 households with enrolled voters by next Tuesday.

A task of this magnitude has never been undertaken before in New Zealand in such a short time frame. The challenge to the Maori Party is to get voters to the poll next Saturday. The undertaking is huge.

Our early canvassing suggests that about a quarter of the current enrolled voters have moved and one in four we meet are not on the roll. Whilst most are aware of the by-election many aren't aware of the date of the by-election.

With all the resources at their disposal, it would be appreciated if the Registrar of Electors or the Electoral Commission would head a bigger public awareness campaign. The media should also play its part to ensure that voters are aware of this by-election.

The wide geographical spread will adversely affect voter turnout. It takes more than five hours to drive from one end of the electorate to the other. However despite the many obstacles that a general electorate doesn't have, our campaign is aiming for over 5,000 voters to turn out on election-day.

Election Day Organisation

On Saturday, the scale of the election organisation will be massive. We are expecting over 1,000 helpers on the day, which will be a record number of people helping out in a single electorate ever.

The electorate headquarters for the day will at Memorial Hall in Wanganui (the same venue as the Saturday evening launch and the Sunday hui).

In addition there will be five regional headquarters in Porirua, Levin, Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Tokoroa will also be co-ordinating the scrutineers, transporters and door canvassers in their areas. There will be up to 20 satellite offices in other main towns in the electorate.

Maori Party Rohe organisations throughout the country have been assigned areas and are expected to arrive on Friday night and stay in assigned Marae throughout the electorate. All helpers will meet at 9am on Saturday morning at each of the main headquarters for election day briefings and assignments. Every helper will work in their designated area (as shown in an attachment) until the launch of the party on Saturday evening.

Saturday from 6pm - Party Launch

The party launch on Saturday evening at the Memorial Hall will commence with a powhiri and ceremonies at 6pm, followed by entertainment. The official launch will commence at approximately 8pm after the results of the by-election are known and Tariana has been elected. as the first of many Maori Party MPs, to Parliament.

Celebrations and official speeches by Whatarangi Winiata, Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia will be given and two young Maori leaders will also address the launch.

Sunday from 12 noon - Conference Business Hui

The business of the founding Hui will be carried out the following day (Sunday 11 July) from noon at the Memorial Hall. The Hui will approve a constitution as well as elect the party leadership including the President, Co-leaders, Treasurer and General Secretary. The Hui will also receive interim policy reports.

The agenda for the Saturday launch and Sunday Hui are attached. We are expecting 1000 workers on Election Day and a similar amount of attendees at the launch and hui.

At the Sunday Hui each Rohe membership will be officially represented by ten voting delegates. However, all Maori Party members will be able to attend the Hui as conference attendees and participate in their rohe caucus to determine the positions of their rohe hui representatives. To cover costs there will be a registration koha of $20 per person.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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