New party would sweep Maori seats, Turia says

1.00pm

Sacked minister Tariana Turia today predicted a new party being built around her would sweep Labour out of all seven Maori electorates.

Pamphlets were distributed among thousands of hikoi marchers yesterday urging people to sign up and put their names forward for a new Maori party.

When Mrs Turia spoke to the crowd gathered at Parliament yesterday her speech bore all the hallmarks of an election campaign opener.

"There is huge support -- all of those people would represent hundreds of others because they belong to whanau, hapu, they belong to urban authorities," she told National Radio today.

"I think we are going to see a clean sweep of the seats in the next election."

Mrs Turia did not expect the heat to go out of the foreshore and seabed issue before the next election was held.

"We are going to be very, very proactive, we are not going to lose the impetus, no way, because our people won't," she said.

Anger was not about a minor issue, but about the last piece of customary land in customary ownership being taken away by the Government, she said.

"To see confiscation happening again -- no it won't be forgotten in 18 months, I assure you."

Maori media commentator and former Alliance MP Willie Jackson told NZPA yesterday it was now clear a Maori party was "inevitable".

"It's an amazing day," he said.

"You have people marching side by side who hate each other, who have been in court battles with each other, who have fought fishery battles, land battles -- you name it."

Hikoi organiser Hone Harawira told the crowd that the hikoi was about more than the foreshore issue -- it was about Maori unity.

"The foreshore and seabed issue gives us the opportunity to get together, but if we don't carry on beyond that we will have achieved nothing.

"Don't go home and do nothing. Go home and think about how we are going...to be independent of Labour.

"Too many of us have been voting for Labour... they are exactly the same as National, no different."

- NZPA