Maori Party membership swells to 9000

The Maori Party is growing in size and confidence.

Co-leader Tariana Turia said at a weekend hui at Otaki that the party's policies would be announced in the next three weeks.

The party now has 9000 members, up from 7500 a month ago.

The hui, attended by 100 representatives from the seven Maori electorates, decided on criteria for candidate selection and discussed whether to contest general seats.

Mrs Turia said a team of four people would prepare a report for the party's meeting next month that would analyse how many Maori, Pacific Islanders and others would vote on the general roll and a decision on contesting general seats would be made at that meeting.

"There are obviously two or three seats that the party is looking really carefully at," said Mrs Turia.

Candidates would also be announced next month, and the list finalised in March.

Mrs Turia said one of the best things to come out of the hui was news that party co-leader Pita Sharples was a popular choice for the Auckland-based seat of Tamaki Makaurau, which he is contesting.

About 590 houses were canvassed in the Clevedon area and of the 383 people who were at home, 88 per cent said they would vote for Dr Sharples.

Mrs Turia said the party was door-knocking in all Maori electorates and by the end of next month every household with residents on the Maori roll should have been visited.

"There is a lot of excitement about the election this year," she said.

"People are feeling very confident."

In the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey, the Maori Party polled 1.9 per cent.

The party was launched last July.