Poll: Maori equal, special

By KEVIN TAYLOR political reporter

Most Maori want special services, but they also agree the Government should not treat Maori differently to other New Zealanders.

The apparent paradox comes in a nationwide Herald-DigiPoll survey of 801 Maori taken this week.

Nearly four in five of those polled supported specialist Maori schools and health services, and the right of Maori to be consulted by councils.

In the poll, 78.1 per cent supported specialist Maori schools, 78.7 per cent specialist Maori health services, 76.5 per cent the right of local Maori to be consulted by councils and 60.2 per cent help to enter tertiary courses.

But the poll also showed 63.2 per cent opposed to the Government treating Maori differently to other New Zealanders.

Only 31.2 per cent supported it, and 5.6 per cent did not know.

The apparently contradictory result could be a recognition that while Maori do not want to be treated differently, their health and education lag behind the general population and targeted services have long been provided.

The poll, which has a 3.5 per cent margin of error, contrasts with the DigiPoll survey published in last week's Weekend Herald.

In that poll, 75 per cent of the 642 Pakeha surveyed supported National leader Don Brash's proposals to remove racial distinctions from Government services.

Sixty-nine per cent opposed help for Maori to enter tertiary courses and 62 per cent opposed specialist Maori health services.

Only 16 per cent believed Maori had the right to special treatment and only 30 per cent wanted separate Maori seats in Parliament retained.

Opinion was evenly split on whether councils should consult Maori, and 41 per cent supported specialist Maori schools.

The latest poll showed 66.8 per cent support from Maori for retaining Maori seats in Parliament, and 70.8 per cent support for Treaty of Waitangi principles being part of New Zealand law.

Asked if Labour was generally working towards creating the kind of country Maori wanted for their children and grandchildren, 54.6 per cent said yes, 34.5 per cent said no, and 10.8 per cent did not know.

The notion that a separate Maori political party would fulfil their wishes better than any other party drew little support.

Only 32.3 per cent agreed and 57.1 per cent disagreed. The rest did not know.

Asked how they described themselves, 54.2 per cent of Maori said they were "Maori first", 27.7 per cent "New Zealander first" and only 14 per cent called themselves "both".

A new Marae-DigiPoll shows Maori still firmly behind the Government.

But the poll was conducted between February 12 and 22 - after Dr Brash's Orewa race speech but before the Government announced a review of Maori policies to ensure they were needs-based, Trevor Mallard's appointment as Race Relations Minister and subsequent discontent from Labour's Maori MPs.

The poll of 1047 Maori voters showed Labour on 52.1 per cent support, NZ First second on 15.6 per cent support and National on 6.9 per cent.

The last Marae-DigiPoll survey of party preferences was taken in August with a survey of opinion on the foreshore and seabed issue.

That survey gave Labour 51 per cent followed by NZ First on 16.3 per cent and National on 5.1 per cent.

The latest poll gave Dr Brash 2.1 per cent support as preferred prime minister.

Prime Minister Helen Clark was in front with 45.5 per cent followed by NZ First leader Winston Peters on 17.7 per cent.

The full Marae-DigiPoll survey, which has a 3 per cent margin of error, will be screened tomorrow on the Marae programme on TV One.


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