One Pacific and why the Māori Party?
One Pacific and why the Māori
Party?
Creating and making
history
It was history in the making when One
Pacific signed He Kawenata, a covenant, an agreement with
the Māori Party on 28 June 2017 in Auckland.
It is the first time in history that Pasefika people and Māori have signed any form of formal agreement between themselves. ‘This is history in our and my lifetime’ says Aiiloilo Dr. Elise Puni, Co-Leader and representing Samoa.
Māori Party made He Kawenata possible for
Pacific people
According to Dr. Joe Williams,
Co-Leader and representing Cook Islands, ‘…One Pacific
approached the Māori Party. The Kawenata was only made
possible by the Māori Party being accepting and willing to
forge a Partnership with Pacific people and their
communities.’
We are a priority and
we do matter to the Māori Party
No other
political party has ventured into signing an agreement with
Pacific people to advance and progress their aspirations in
Aotearoa.
Self-determination with a united
and independent voice
He Kawenata is based on
mutual respect with ‘mana and mamalu’ (dignity). It
unites the two parties in the political arena. It speaks
with a strong clear voice that is independent, but united.
It speaks of their self-determination. Mana
Motuhake!
Māori Party
allows for the voice of Pacific to be heard
The
voice of One Pacific is in unison with that of the Māori
Party but also distinct. One Pacific collaborates with the
Māori Party in developing Pacific policies as their voice
to be heard through the Māori Party policy manifesto.
With other political parties, the voice of Pacific is not heard in their policy manifesto.
Pacific
to nominate their own Pacific
Candidates
‘Māori Party honours Pacific
communities by giving Pacific people the right and privilege
to nominate their own Pacific leaders as Candidates for the
Māori Party’, says Ikamafana Tameifuna, Co-Leader and
representing Tonga.
No other political party has given Pacific people an opportunity to nominate their own Pacific Candidates to be considered by their Party as General Seat Candidates.
ENDS