Rawiri Taonui: Party an instrument for Maori voiceless

The first birthday of the Maori Party this week vindicates its independent voice in Parliament. There is rapidly growing support - the latest Marae Digipoll of Maori voters on the Maori and general rolls shows that if an election was held tomorrow the party would get 43 per cent of the party vote.

This includes a 25 per cent swing across the seven Maori seats from an election night 27.2 per cent to 52.6 per cent now. The swing also shows in the preferred candidate vote with a 17 to 30 per cent shift toward the party's four incumbent MPs in their seats. If there was an election tomorrow, the party would win Te Tai Tonga in the South Island by a 16 per cent margin.

Patient and composed, the party's MPs are commenting sensibly on issues without surrendering their principles. The stance that what is good for Maori is good for New Zealand has earned respect.

The response to the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples was measured. Dr Pita Sharples engaged in the Kahui twins' deaths debate in a way that was informed, compassionate and human.

Party statements on the Maori "warrior gene" - that it was an exaggerated piece of narrow research exploiting stereotypes - appealed to most reasonably minded people.

The only apparent glitch, Hone Harawira initially neglecting to see the double payment issue in the koha debate, was tidied up efficiently. Harawira is adding wisdom to consistency. Te Ururoa Flavell is a thoughtful mix of Sharples and Harawira.

The party has avoided the unnecessary bravado that led to the meltdowns of John Tamihere, Tau Henare and Mauri Pacific, and the Willie Jackson coup over the politically senior Sandra Lee in Mana Motuhake.

Placing kaupapa and principles above personalities, the party has stayed out of the mudslinging between Labour and National. The party is introducing a Maori way of doing things to New Zealand politics. The caucus runs on tikanga Maori.

Members have the right to speak and be heard without interjection or insult. They stay in regular touch with elders. The effort gives them maturity beyond the sum total of their experience in Parliament.

Independence has created this opportunity. For the first time, Maori MPs are not subject to the majority tyranny of another culture in caucus.

The cross-benches and voting issue by issue has allowed time to learn. The party may not be strong in numbers but it can flex muscle in a Parliament where the numbers are so tight that MPs outside the government have new-found powers.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Maori Party has provided key votes enabling two bills to go through to select committee (New Zealand First MP Barbara Stewart's bill to cut the number of MPs to 100 and National MP Wayne Mapp's bill allowing a three-month trial for workers).

These are bills the party might otherwise disagree with but members' votes now give the public an opportunity to have a say. Doing so demonstrates a lack of baggage.

Their independence is endorsed by the voiceless Maori the party represents. Membership has climbed from 21,000 to 30,000.

The Digipoll named Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia as the two most popular and effective Maori Members of Parliament. Maori Party MPs made up four of the first seven on the most effective list of 18. National and Labour MPs dominated the bottom.

Whether the party maintains this momentum is another question. If Maori remain confident and no longer afraid of the Don Brash "brown bash" the shift away from Labour will continue. Combine this with the big trend over the past three Maori electoral options (1997, 2001 and 2006) the party has a robust future.

More than twice as many voters shift to the Maori roll as go the other way. And some 80 per cent of new voters go on the Maori roll. The proportion of Maori on the Maori roll has increased from 40 to 58 per cent.

Reality might set in as the party launches its first pieces of legislation, one to repeal the Foreshore and Seabed Act, another to address institutional racism, and a third to preserve the Maori seats. Labour will reflexively squash anything for now, although it should look to a future fending off a multicultural new right.

There's a question mark over United Future, and a wait and see on National. You'd think they need brown bros more than the Brethren ones. A more brutal reality might see across the board rejection.

Will the Maori Party last? I previously thought the party would simply take over from Labour.

The Maori Party might replace them. The demographics for that are arriving sooner than we think. Could the Maori Party hold a balance of power in 2008? Maybe.

The Maori Party is important for this time. It is the most independent Maori voice since the 1990s Congress and the 1890s Kotahitanga Movement.

It is refreshingly different from the Maori corporate warriors, the Wellington consultant brigade and those still clinging to the apron strings of Labour and National.

Credit to Tariana Turia. A long-time servant of grass roots communities, mother of six, grandmother of 24 and foster parent of 30 she combines the strength of Eva Rickard, the motherhood of Whina Cooper, the principles of Mira Szasy and the dignity of Te Atairangikaahu.

She risked all and won. Pakeha respect her for that. Maori love her.

The party has escaped the attention of the Exclusive Brethren.

I hope they are not following me. If they are, I would like to be picked up at 8am every day. As Sharples would say, travelling together will benefit New Zealand, and save gas.

* Dr Rawiri Taonui is head of the School of Maori and Indigenous Studies, University of Canterbury.