We'll be kingmaker next time, says Maori Party MP

MP Te Ururoa Flavell wants the Maori Party to be a major part of the political landscape. Picture / Andrew Warner

The Maori Party aims to position itself as the kingmaker after the next election, says MP Te Ururoa Flavell.

Mr Flavell said yesterday the more Maori who switched to the Maori roll, creating more seats, the more powerful it would be in that role.

But regardless of whether there were more Maori seats, "having secured the four seats thus far, I'm really confident that we're going to get whatever seats are left".

The party would "therefore be in the position to take up the role of kingmaker/queenmaker if you like, and at that point in time we'll be in a far better position ... to be a major part of the political landscape".

Speculation New Zealand First would not survive the next election, and the race between the two big parties, also made it likely that the seven Maori seats the Maori Party would hold would give it the kingmaker role, he said. It was the position held by NZ First, which had enabled it to decide whether National or Labour would govern.

"We ... want to be part of a decision-making process to secure the resources that ... can assist in the development of our people," he said.

Labour Maori caucus chairman Shane Jones said the Maori Party's flirting with National after the last election had "disappointed and saddened" Maori voters.