Jon Stokes: Jacinda the defibrillator has recharged Maori contests

Labour party leader Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Dean Purcell

Opinion

There is nothing like the shock exit of political leaders of three political parties, weeks short of a general election, to suck attention from the fascinating battles looming in the Maori seats.

First, the resignation of Andrew Little produced a defibrillator in the form of new leader Jacinda Ardern that was applied to the chest of a heaving Labour Party. Then there was the self-immolation of former Greens co-leader Metiria Turei whose actions, or inactions, took her out and burned through a large chunk of her party's support.

The departure of Peter Dunne as leader of United Future, while sudden, was more a fizzle than a blaze. The once wily political operator seemed to have run out of the accelerant he has used in the past to re-ignite his electorate's loyalty.

Labour is re-invigorated in the polls, forcing National to look further than the Maori Party, Act and United Future to stay in power. The country's most influential pensioner, Winston Peters, will likely get to decide whether a National or a Labour/Green coalition governs the country.

As a result, there has been limited attention given the compelling contests right across the Maori electorates, which has corresponded also with a slowing in the momentum the Maori Party had enjoyed over the previous 12 months.

The "Jacinda effect" has given encouragement for Maori looking for a reason to return to the Labour party of their parents and grandparents - and provided a real option for many who are in intent on stopping another National government.

Te Tai Hauauru, which ranges along the west coast of the North Island from Kawhia to Wellington, inland to the South Waikato and down to Manawatu, is looming as the battle of the nice guys. Thoroughly pleasant and low-key Labour incumbent Adrian Ruawhe is up against the Maori Party's warm and humble former Kiwi league captain, Howie Tamati.

In the background is an equally decent, youthful and non-combative Greens candidate, Jack McDonald. Now 11th on his party's list, McDonald was looking certain to get into Parliament until the Metiria affair. Now it is not so certain.

Both Tamati, number 6 on the Maori Party list, and Ruawhe who came off the Labour list along with all the Labour Maori electorate MPs earlier this year, need to win the seat to go to Parliament.

In polling to date - Labour internal polling and a recent Maori Television poll - Tamati has managed to fend off the younger Labour candidate, with the Greens a distant third.

It has all changed in the most Northern Maori electorate seat of Te Tai Tokerau which stretches from Auckland's North Shore to Cape Reinga. The seat was won by Kelvin Davis, now Labour's deputy leader, by 743 votes at the last election.

He again is running against Mana Party leader Hone Harawira who has struggled to get the same level of attention that he had as an MP. This time, more beneficially, he is no longer working with Kim Dotcom in the failed Internet Mana alliance.

Earlier this year the Maori Party and Mana came to an agreement that Mana would not stand candidates in six Maori electorates if the Maori Party did not contest Te Tai Tokerau. It was a surprisingly conciliatory move by Harawira who left the Maori Party following a major fall-out in 2011.

It has also been a win for Maori voters as their decision has been simplified to one of Labour or not, and it has quietened the often vicious public slanging between Mana and Maori Party candidates and supporters that often polluted online forums.

Harawira, however, still has a massive task to unseat the incumbent. Davis has had some good wins in his first full term as an MP. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the party ranks from being in the right place at the right time and by showing he has an astute eye in picking his battles, scoring big points in his time as opposition corrections spokesman.

He has however been forced to take more of a backseat role of late after getting a 'growling" from his leader for saying Prime Minister Bill English had the "personality of a rock" and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman was the "Doctor of Death".

He was supposed to be more "positive" and right now, like the rest of Labour's candidates in Maori seats, he has reason to be.

- Jon Stokes is a former NZ Herald Maori issues reporter, and provides communications and strategy advice to a range of Maori and not-for-profit organisations.