Pita Sharples (left) is welcomed by Senior Constable Alf Filipaina, Pacific Island liaison officer for Counties-Manukau police, at the Mangere Town Centre yesterday. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey
Beside the motorway and under the golden arches is the only place to hold election strategy pow-wows, Pita Sharples reckons.
Forget about swanky cafes, retreats or boardroom tables - Greenlane McDonald's is the place to be for the incumbent Tamaki Makaurau MP and Maori Party co-leader.
He holds
weekly hui of about 20 of the party faithful to make sure things are on track.
Dr Sharples says he tries not to overindulge.
"This morning it was sausage and scrambled eggs and nothing else."
But the 67-year-old believes he needn't worry too much because the doctors say he couldn't be healthier going into this campaign.
"Oh shit yeah, I'm fit as."
Campaigning is an exhausting exercise.
The MP has been clocking up the kilometres in the three Maori seats held by Labour which collectively cover the South Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, East Coast, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa and Wainuiomata.
He's been working since 7am but he doesn't look tired.
At Manurewa Marae he unleashes humour and his mega-watt smile at a Mana Tane men's event for South Aucklanders.
The 20 or so teenagers there laugh when he starts to talk about alcohol, but quickly give him sober attention.
"It's really hard for me to tell young people don't get pissed - because we all did it.
"The reality is the sooner you get through that stage the better because it's killing our people on the roads and it's making us violent in our homes."
Dr Sharples gets the biggest cheer when he says he hopes Barack Obama wins the US presidential election.
For the most part his message to the boys is about pride. Only once does he veer towards party policies.
He was "ashamed" to hear talkback radio callers slamming his party's $500 relief package to those stuck in poverty. The theme, he said, was that all poor people were automatically druggies and alcoholics, so why should they get the assistance?
At Willie Jackson's Radio Waatea station in Mangere, Dr Sharples is asked if the Maori Party can take seven seats.
"I'd love to."
