Sykes' talk of deal just politicking, says Waititi

Rawiri Waititi

Labour Party Waiariki candidate Rawiri Waititi says there's no way his party will do a deal with Internet Mana's Annette Sykes, saying she is just politicking before the election.

Mr Waititi's statement comes after Ms Sykes told TV3 News last week that Labour had made a secret "Epsom-style" electorate deal with Hone Harawira in Te Tai Tokerau and called for Labour to do a similar deal for her in the Waiariki electorate.

She told TV3, "vote for Annette Sykes but give Labour Party the tick - that works in our mutual advantage", saying a deal could knock out Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell, helping bring down the Maori Party.

Yesterday Ms Sykes said Labour needed to think hard about how to get rid of the National Government.

"Even if Rawiri Waititi and Labour can't bring themselves to admit it, Labour voters are smart enough to work it out. Their electorate vote has a lot of power to help change the government," she said.

Mr Waititi said the Labour Party was against coat-tailing and were out to win all seven Maori seats.

"We are doing the two tick campaign - candidate and party," he said. "I think she is just politicking and trying to find traction any way she can.

"She thinks a vote for me would be a wasted vote and thinks there's only her and Te Ururoa in this race.

"What she doesn't realise is that I represent the most socially deprived areas of Waiariki (the eastern region).

"While I'm working hard for them, they will spend most of their time scrapping in Rotorua."

Mr Waititi said he wanted to make it very clear there would be no deals with Mana, or any other party in Waiariki.

"This is a minor party using a major party as political leverage.

"We just want to quash any speculation out there that we have put any support behind Annette Sykes, because this is absolutely wrong," he said.

Ms Sykes said Internet Mana's main focus was a change in government.

"The Maori Party has helped keep National in power for those six years and will do so again in 2014 if they are re-elected.

"To make sure there is a change of government, it is vital that Waiariki voters elect an MP who is committed to just that," she said.

"The reality in 2014 is obvious - if Waiariki voters want to use their electorate vote to change the government, they need to vote for me.

"Any other vote will help Te Ururoa get elected and use Waiariki to put National back into power."

She said Labour needed to work out who its real friends were. "Of course Rawiri will find it difficult to admit that the smart vote in Waiariki to change the government is for me, but that doesn't change the fact that it is.

"I'm asking for two ticks this election - for myself and a party vote for Internet Mana," she said.