MANA MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14 November 2011

Davis Opposed to Free Health And Free Education

“Geez – how can anybody be opposed to free health and free education for Maori kids” said Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira when told about Kelvin Davis’ comments that MANA’s policies would make Maori worse off.

Harawira said that Maori communities right throughout the north were absolutely devastated by Labour’s sale of state assets, and that many had never fully recovered.

He added that Taitokerau was now an economic basket case after 25 years of neglect from both Labour and National and suffered from consistently high levels of unemployment, and cuts in welfare, health and education.

“And now Kelvin is supporting Labour’s campaign to lift the superannuation age which he knows is going to hurt Maori, the same way that Labour’s introducing GST has hammered poor Maori families in the north.”

Harawira said he was really perplexed about which of MANA’s policies Davis did not like.

“What’s wrong with MANA’s feed the kids policy? Does he like the fact that we spend our first $360 million a week on repaying overseas debt – while 60,000 Maori kids go hungry every day?”

“Or is it MANA’s policy of giving poor people a $1,000 hardship grant at Christmas? Does he believe that rubbish about how tax cuts for the rich makes good economic sense, but tax breaks for the poor is a bribe?”

“What’s not to like about MANA’s policy of free health for everyone? Or our policy of free education for that matter?”

Harawira said that he understood Davis’ frustration.

“Labour policy was hard to sell to Maori “but he should fix Labour rather than bag MANA for putting forward policies which would help Maori”

ENDS

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