Turia takes carte blanche from hui

Tariana Turia

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says the message from her consultation hui is that supporters trust the party's MPs to make the right decision in any Government-forming negotiations.

The party was to have concluded the hui yesterday and was to hold a press conference today detailing what supporters want them to do.

But it said yesterday that because of "overwhelming interest", there would be additional hui, with the final one being held tomorrow.

Mrs Turia is continuing to talk up the prospect of the party's potential to enter an arrangement with National, if it were in a position to form a Government - considered highly unlikely but not impossible.

It appears the Maori Party is working to increase its leverage in negotiations with Labour at this stage - although it will also be mindful of the need to form a relationship with Opposition parties and to differentiate itself long-term from Labour however negotiations pan out.

Mrs Turia said that although many Maori Party supporters had given their party vote to Labour, the hui had revealed this was because many had been driven by fear of what National would do.

Some voters now realised they may have been misled, she said.

"In the end the message that has come through for me is that they trust us. They trusted the four of us [MPs] to have listened to us and basically in the end to make the best decision in their interests."

Repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act was a priority. But again, voters had said it was up to the MPs to determine how much of a bottom line it was, she said.

Fellow co-leader Pita Sharples and Te Ururoa Flavell both echoed similar views about the messages coming from their hui late last week.

But Te Tai Tokerau candidate Hone Harawira has a different line, saying hui in his electorate and in Tainui have made it clear they don't want the party signing up with National whatever policy wins it might entail.

Mrs Turia said yesterday that was quite a different message from the one she was getting.

It appears the different tone could partly be a result of the different messages MPs are giving at the hui.

Mr Harawira and Dr Sharples have long favoured the party entering a confidence-and-supply agreement with Labour.

They are likely to be concerned that flirting with National could hamper those prospects.

But Mrs Turia argues if National is willing to talk about repeal of the foreshore legislation, the catalyst for the party's establishment, she is obliged to talk to it.

The party is only presenting the hui with two formal options: opposition or a confidence-and-supply agreement, but it hasn't specified which party that would be with.

Helen Clark had hoped to complete negotiations over the Government's formation by the end of the week and the Greens say they are in the "home straight".

But Labour is juggling a number of balls and it may yet take longer to bring some of the other minor parties on board.