National Maori MP's comment on trust 'unfortunate'

Georgina te Heuheu

A comment by National's only Maori MP that she is the only person in the party Maori can trust has been called an "unfortunate choice of language".

National's Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee said today list MP Georgina te Heuheu made the comment during a "fairly vociferous" Maori candidate's meeting in Auckland last night.

Other Maori candidates had been "bagging" National and questioning whether the party could be trusted, he said.

"Georgina made it very clear she was one person in the National Party that could be trusted," Mr Brownlee said.

"It was probably an unfortunate choice of language, but there was no intention to convey any message other than her being fully supportive of National Party policy."

It was important to understand the context in which the comment was made.

"She said she was the only person but I know it wasn't her intention, it's just one of those things."

Mrs te Heuheu said today the comment had been taken "totally out of context".

The debate between six Maori candidates in front of an audience of 350 was convened by Willie Jackson.

"I said I was the only one of the candidates that Maori could trust," she said.

"I was saying, as against all the other candidates, if National is in government, I'm the only one they are going to be able to trust.

"They can trust everyone else, but if they're not in government what's the point?"

- NZPA