The National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF) is hosting political parties at an online wānanga tonight from 5.45pm-8pm. The Kotahitanga wānanga is open to all of Aotearoa.

“We want to hear what they plan to do for whānau if they become part of the next government,” said Forum spokesperson Te Huia Bill Hamilton. “We want to know if they will honour te Tiriti and work in partnership with iwi, keeping our children out of institutions and investing in our communities to implement our decisions, especially regarding health and education. Our aim is that our whānau will be motivated to vote and be able to make informed party votes, rather than being swayed by the political noise and “fluff” that is front and centre during election campaigns.”

ACT and NZ First have declined to meet with the NICF, the group that represents iwi (the Te Tiriti partner) to discuss what their policies will do for whānau. The NICF have received confirmation of attendance from all parties except Act and NZ First. Both parties have openly opposed co-governance and policies that aim to address discrimination toward Māori in health and education.

“They want to re-write the Treaty yet they decline to front up and discuss these policies”, forum spokesperson, Bill Te Huia Hamilton says.

“Their policies take us back to the way things used to be in the 1800s when the colonising practice was that government will decide what Māori can do based on their superiority. Clearly this is a case of everything about us without us,” says Hamilton.

“We want whānau Māori to recognise the power they hold as voters. It is our hope that as many whānau as possible vote and we are looking at ways to make the voting process more accessible. This year there will be 14 kaupapa Māori voting booths which will help make the voting process a little more inclusive for our whānau. We will also be encouraging whānau to help each other to vote and know that if we vote, we can get the government we want. Māori have the power to select the government that will best assist our development.” he concluded.

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