Battle begins for Ikaroa-Rawhiti electorate

GOOD RACE: Labour MP Meka Whaitiri will again face Maori MP Marama Fox in the race for the Ikaroa Rawhiti seat.

It's shaping up to be a tough battle on some big issues across the Ikaroa-Rawhiti electorate in this year's general election, with housing shortages likely to dominate the political conversation.

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox will again stand against incumbent Labour MP Meka Whaitiri, and said she was confident she could close the gap on the 6000-plus vote lead Ms Whaitiri gained in the 2014 election.

Ms Fox said the Maori Party was poised to become an influential player in the political landscape, aided by having two leaders who were able to command budget spend and influence policy.

"If we can get four to seven of those Maori seats both sides of the house would prefer to deal with us to form a Government than with Winston Peters.

"If that turns out to be the case we will have a greater say to correct disparity."

Ms Fox said she had connections throughout the electorate and that the Maori Party was proving itself to be the social conscience of the Government, highlighting issues such as homelessness.

"We were talking about this issue and the need to address it before the 2014 election, and now the Government is no longer disposing of state homes.

"We agreed to a partial transfer of state homes to social housing providers but pushed the need to add stock."

Warrants of fitness on rental housing, cleaning up fresh water, suicide prevention, and poverty were other issues the Maori Party had been actively working on, she said.

"That's the power of two people - we have been overlooked in the past, and Labour has attacked us because we are an easy target. People are very annoyed about Andrew Little belittling our people - every time he speaks we gain another 3000 votes."

Ms Whaitiri said her constituents were informed and would look at the policies, values and record of the two candidates when casting their vote.

"Labour has a relationship with this electorate that extends some 70 years and it's one I never take for granted.

"My predecessor Parekura Horomia taught me to serve our people and I expect nothing less than to be judged on my record as the MP for Ikaroa-Rawhiti."

Ms Whaitiri said the Maori Party co-leader's claims of policy influence with National and gains for Maori simply didn't stack up.

"Maori home ownership is plummeting, and in the middle of a housing crisis, the Maori Party voted with National to sell off up to 8000 state houses.

"In select committee earlier this month Housing NZ CEO Andrew McKenzie also indicated more stock will be sold.

"There's a scandal blowing up today showing how badly the Government has underestimated the desperate need for emergency housing."

Ms Whaitiri said things had gone backwards for Maori under eight years of National Government supported by the Maori Party.

"Labour has a positive vision for our people. We will lead from the front on housing, and will end the state house sell-off and build thousands more state houses."

Education and regional development were also areas Labour would invest in, she said.

Ikaroa-Rawhiti extends along the East Coast from Gisborne to Lower Hutt, one of seven Maori seats across the country.