Dave Letele has decided not to stand for Te Pāti Māori this year. Photo / Greer Bland
Dave Letele has decided not to stand for Te Pāti Māori this year. Photo / Greer Bland
Community advocate Dave Letele has decided not to run for the Manurewa seat for Te Pāti Māori at October’s election.
The boss of the BBM charity, based in south Auckland, said he must concentrate on the community work, and those in the community who need his support.
“I have decided, after much thought and discussion, that I will not stand as a candidate in this year’s general election,” Letele said in a Facebook post.
“I have been in discussions with Te Pāti Māori about this. I support Te Pāti Māori as a strong and independent political voice for Māori.”
“My work with BBM is community-based activism and increasingly requires me to take a public stance on issues which may not always be popular with those in positions of power. I make no apology for this.
“In South and West Auckland we are not minorities. Our people are most often last in line and most often in real needs. We need people to stand with us and for us in bettering our lives.
“Decade after decade politicians have made promises at election time to us. Decade after decade we stay at the bottom and in need. Nothing has gotten better, it’s actually gotten worse.”
Letele said he will always call out governments and their policy if he thinks they are wrong.
“I will always be political in our BBM work. I will call out the failings of government, council, or other parts of the systems which fail us. All the time while calling this out I will be working with BBM and our communities practically and constantly to fill gaps which have to be filled.
Furniture going to one of the 42 homes refitted by Dave Letele's BBM charity. Photo / Supplied
“BBM provides free exercise classes, specialist obesity courses, diabetes courses, food, nutrition advice, training and job support, education, emergency support services with our foodshare, and furniture and bedding supply.
“We employ 20 staff, have thousands of active supporters in South and West Auckland and Tokoroa and will expand in the near future to other locations.
“Where ever there is a need, and we can help, we will. Watch this space.”
Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e, a journalist since 1991, was a chief reporter and then news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport and Editor of the NZ Truth. Before joining NZME, he worked for Te Whānau o Waipareira for 12 years.
