KEY POINTS:
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia branded politicians "vultures" yesterday at the annual birthday celebrations for the prophet T.W. Ratana.
During welcoming speeches, kaumatua likened politicians to eagles but Turia said hers was a better description of politicians descending en masse to the pa.
She said she was not taking back any of her earlier comments that the powhiri should not be politicised.
"It gets to the point where our people are just sitting there not being able to question anything. That's not fair. I thought it was more like vultures, the kaumatua were being nice."
While Ms Turia did not speak formally she was happy to be interviewed. "I was just thinking that when people come here and they talk about partnership and they talk about the Treaty - it smacks of a little bit of rhetoric to me."
Those who could not escape the speeches were like roadkill, she said.
The general verdict on the effectiveness of political messages was that they had minimal impact.
Naiada Hika, 67, who was born and raised at Ratana Pa, said she went and hung out her washing when the politicians were talking, but she rushed back when her 12-year-old granddaughter, who plays in the marching band Te Reo o Te Arepa, led King Tuheitia and three busloads of his iwi on to the marae. Labour came on to the marae with a group of Cabinet ministers, MPs and Te Puni Kokiri staffers a couple of hundred strong.
Prime Minister Helen Clark's message was lost on hundreds gathered to listen to her after a microphone glitch meant people not sitting near a speaker were unable to hear.
National leader John Key's smaller group featured MPs Georgina te Heuheu, Tau Henare and Bill English.
His speech asked Maori to send their votes his way this year - his message was essentially that T.W. Ratana's aspirations for Maori were not that different from National's.
One of Ratana's mokopuna, Adrian Rurawhe, said that although all parties were given a fair go to say what they wanted, "will we all of a sudden talk about National? It is highly unlikely."
That was a view echoed by church secretary Waka Paama. He was a Labour voter and that was notlikely to change, he said.
There was, however, a quiet curiosity about Mr Key.
Announcer Michael Taiaroa, who kept things on schedule for thousands who were playing sports through scorching temperatures, had a perfect view of the politicians.
"That could be the next Prime Minister. Reckon he can work with the Maori Party?" he asked a friend as Mr Key spoke about speeding up the settlement process.
