MP takes the shots, puts in hard yards

Tukoroirangi Morgan is fighting for his brief political life, as Richard Knight reports.

Tukoroirangi Morgan has had to put up with it every day of his political life - the snide remarks and the veiled references to the $89 pair of underpants.

But it doesn't bother him. "I put up with it and endure because I have to."

What is bothering him now is what he sees as double standards by his Tainui leadership, who have refused to let him put up a political hoarding on land controlled by the tribe.

"I am a beneficiary of the tribe; my whakapapa links to Tainui can't be disputed. They allow my opponent [Labour list MP] Nanaia Mahuta to put her hoarding on Tainui land - that's fair enough.

"But when they allow Labour leader Helen Clark and a Labour candidate, both Pakeha, to put their hoarding on the land I can't, then that's where I draw the line. It's tribal hypocrisy gone mad."

Mr Morgan's star began falling in the public collapse of Aotearoa Television Network when his big spending on clothing was revealed. A Serious Fraud Office report cleared him of impropriety, but his detractors questioned Mr Morgan's arrogance and belief that nothing was wrong because of his mana.

Since the breakup of the coalition Government, he has helped prop up National as part of Mauri Pacific. His emphasis has been on working out Mauri Pacific policy on Maori language, education and health, as well as canvassing in his electorate.

"I had to stay with the Government. If we went to the Opposition benches we would have been powerless to make positive changes for Maori."

Now far from the TV spotlight and direct influence on the Government, Mr Morgan travels through his Te Tai Hauauru electorate, which stretches from Wanganui to South Auckland, and draws a range of responses from voters.

They range from, "Hey, bro, don't let the bastards drive you out of Parliament" to "Who the hell do you think you are?"

The former TV reporter is confident of retaining his seat, in spite of polls that show he trails Ms Mahuta by a long way.

"In the past three months I have been to 47 hui, meeting the people. They tell me they don't want to go back to Labour because they have done nothing for Maori. Our focus has been and always will be Maori. We are not flunkies; we will not toe the party line at the expense of Maori."

Mr Morgan said that if the unthinkable happened and he did not return to Parliament, life would go on. "There would be new challenges to face, but I will survive. I am a graduate from the school of hard knocks. I have put my time in. I was not raised with a silver spoon in my mouth like my opponent [Ms Mahuta].

"I worked for what I have and have been a success in everything I have done. So I'm not worried about my future."