Maori Party claims it is on the up

Although a weekend poll showing that Labour would lose five of the seven Maori seats was based on a small sample it reflected her party's own polling, Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said today.

The Marae-Digipoll survey showed that only Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia and Tainui MP Nanaia Mahuta would win their electorates.

Labour Party president Mike Williams has described the poll as "snake oil" because of its small sample size.

The poll surveyed 734 voters on the Maori roll and 426 Maori voters on the general roll.

Mrs Turia said today she accepted the poll was small but it fitted some of the polling her party had done "particularly in Tamaki Makaurau where there's been a very strong door knocking campaign".

The poll suggests maverick Labour MP John Tamihere would be out of Parliament because he is only standing as an electorate MP and has not put his name forward for the list.

Under this poll, Mr Tamihere would lose out to Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples who had 66 per cent support compared to Mr Tamihere's 30 per cent in the Tamaki Makaurau seat.

Mrs Turia said there were people who had listened to Mr Tamihere over the years and were not happy with what he was saying against Maori leadership.

"So, I think he is suffering the consequences not only of Investigate magazine but basically his comments over the last few years," she said.

Mr Tamihere was censured by the Labour Party following his interview with Investigate magazine in which he attacked colleagues, women, Maori, unions, and said he was sick of being made to feel guilty about the Holocaust.

His outburst seems to have boosted his popularity, however. In the One News/Colmar Brunton poll last night, Mr Tamihere featured as the preferred prime minister of 3 per cent of voters.

Prime Minister Helen Clark today told Newstalk ZB that questioning only about 105 voters in each of the seven Maori electorates made for a very small sample size so it was unlikely to reflect the overall mood of voters in those electorates.

- NZPA