John Tamihere replaces Che Wilson as Māori Party president
Former Māori Party co-leader John Tamihere has replaced Che Wilson as the party’s president.
Tamihere has a career in social services, after working in broadcasting and as a MP and minister of the Labour Party.
John’s appointment as the new President of the Māori Party is the most important political shockwave to happen so far this year.
This is the strongest indication yet that the Māori Party intend to be a serious player in the next Government if Labour + Greens need their numbers to make the 51%
The problem with the Māori Party has been the flakiness of the two MPs who have driven an agenda that is destabilising to any potential Government.
Tamihere is one of the best deal makers in Māoridom, his steady hand on the tiller will ensure a negotiated deal with Labour is a genuine possibility.
This would make Willie Jackson even more important to Labour as any possible future deal would be negotiated between him and Tamihere.
This is the most evident sign that a Labour-Green-Māori Party coalition could not only negotiate a deal together, but that it could function as a Government.
For progressives, this is a the best news for sometime.
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Mr. Wilson is a top man and deserves a great deal of respect for fighting the good fight against the enemies of Maori and New Zealanders in general.
That said, I am chuffed to see the Maori Party will be entering the next election with someone with Mr. Tamihere’s connections and broad appeal at the helm. There is no doubt that of the parties likely to secure seats in the next election, the Maori Party is the one with the most serious platform for uplifting those disenfranchised by the Lab-Nat neoliberal hegemony.
So now all three can wallow in opposition after National + Act roll the next election when Jacinda bows out early to a cushy UN job, freeing up Robertson to ‘take the reigns’ and screw everything up?
Nitko
So you think that Robertson is a royalist – taking the ‘reigns’. Can he be relied on to take the reins and steer us along the road less travelled since 1984, which leads to better standard of living and better citizens all round, at the end of the day?
Lol Ardern has made it very clear in multiple interviews she intends to be PM for years to come. There is a lot of water to go under the bridge before the next election. I wouldn’t write off a Labour/Ardern victory just yet.
Ah yeah that old hory right wing mantra chestnut of the UN job. There’s more chance of Nitcko coming off the benefit and getting a job under Luxons $2 a week tax break than Jacinda moving overseas. But keep playing that broken record, it’s agonisingly boring.
Bert, I liked her to start with but it’s for logical reasons her personal ratings are sinking. Bombastic is one. She becoming a liability.
Xray, it is your absolute right to have that opinion. However I completely disagree. I believe that with NZ having such a strong and bias media, they influence the sheeples thoughts. The “she is becoming a liability” statement is exactly what Hooten said in the herald. Does that make you both right or both wrong? I don’t know but I don’t believe she is a liability, as I’ve proven before the media are doing their utmost to win the election for the right, what I want to know is whose money is behind it all? Now that Bridges is the CEO of Aucklands Chamber of Commerce, I have my suspicions.
Tamihere’s appointment is good news for Labour and the Maori Party.
Maybe he will tone down the rhetoric and forward the Maori cause rather than calling all Pakeha racist. Move the party towards achieving genuine wins for Maori (like low income housing) rather than spouting separatism with every breath.
If your relying on NZ First Frankie, quite literally your fucked.
Fair enough Frankie, fair enough.
Correct. As deeply unappealing as Luxon is, the secretive co-governance agenda plus the Maori Party is yet another reason to avoid Labour like the plague come next election.
XRAY is a racist.
I used to listen to Willie and John’s talk radio show – probably the best thing for the NZ left that ever happened – apart from M Savage of course. Unfortunately their partnerhsip was derailed by John’s turets syndrome which elicits short outbursts of astonishing and unneccessary mysogyny.
Let’s hope he’s matured and grown as a person and he and Willie can return to the political and economic discussions at which they excel. In government this partnership could be amazing.
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