Election 2023: Māori polling company is on the horizon says Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere

Māori Party president John Tamihere is critical of polls he says use too small a sample. Photo / NZME

Māori Party president John Tamihere says it’s time for a Māori-focused political polling company – and such a company will be registered soon.

Tamihere says existing polling companies are tied to political parties, and many of their polls taint the views of swing voters.

He said the Curia Research polls used by Whakaata Māori are a joke, because the sample size of 500, including a third from the internet, is too small to make reliable conclusions.

“You need at least three of those in a row to form an opinion on trends. Otherwise you need 1000 to 1500 in a poll. Here’s the other takeaway – a third of people in these polls are undecided. It beggars belief you would use these for a conversation piece even,” he says.

The two Curia-Whakaata Māori polls released so far put Te Pāti Māori behind in seats it expects to win.

Labour candidate Cushla Tangaere Manuel (left) and predecessor-turned-Te Pāti Māori candidate Meka Whaitiri. Photo / RNZ

In Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, the poll revealed Labour’s newcomer, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, had an eight-point lead over Meka Whaitiri who walked out on Labour earlier in the year and in Te Tai Hauāuru, where Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is expected to win comfortably, the Whakaata Māori-Curia poll had Labour’s Soraya Peke-Mason at 34 per cent and the Te Pāti Māori co-leader on 29 per cent.

The schedule for the five remaining Māori electorates screening on Whakaata Māori are Debate #3 - Te Tai Tonga, 7pm tonight, Debate #5, Hauraki-Waikato, 7pm Tuesday, October 3, Debate #6 - Te Tai Tokerau, 7pm Thursday,, October 5, Debate #4 Waiariki – 7pm Monday, October 9 and Debate #7 - Tāmnaki Makaurau 7pm Tuesday, October 10.

Waatea.News.Com