KEI NGA IHOIHO O NGA MAUNGA WHAKAHI, KEI NGA WAI WHAKATERE TANIWHA TENA KOUTOU KATOA. KO MIHINGARANGI TENEI E MIHI ATU NEI, NAU MAI, TAHUTI MAI RA. WELCOME TO THE HUI ` MAORI CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR ALL NEW ZEALANDERS. COMING UP ` IT'S BEEN HER HOME FOR 21 YEARS, BUT NIKI TAUTI'S BEING TURFED OUT TO MAKE WAY FOR THE LARGEST BUILDING PROJECT OF ITS KIND IN AUSTRALASIA. BUT SHE WON'T GO WITHOUT A FIGHT. IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT ME. THERE ARE A LOT OF FRIGHTENED PEOPLE OUT THERE. PLUS, THE LEADER OF THE OPPORTUNITIES PARTY, GARETH MORGAN, JOINS US IN STUDIO. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2017 KARAHUIHUI MAI. WELL, LATER IN THE SHOW WE DISCUSS THE WAR FOR HAURAKI-WAIKATO, BUT FIRST, IT'S NO SECRET TAMAKI MAKAURAU HAS A HOUSING PROBLEM. FINDING A SOLUTION IS NO EASY FIX. IT'LL BE A COMBINATION OF TIME, MONEY AND PATIENCE. ONE COMPANY, TAMAKI REGENERATION LTD, IS PROPOSING AN AMBITIOUS HOUSING PROJECT, THE LARGEST OF ITS KIND OF IN AUSTRALASIA. IT WANTS TO REDEVELOP A SUBURB OF EAST AUCKLAND, AND IT'LL MEAN REPLACING STATE HOUSES WITH MODERN, HEALTHY HOMES. THE COMPANY, WHICH IS OWNED BY BOTH AUCKLAND COUNCIL AND THE GOVERNMENT, IS ALREADY CAUSING HEARTACHE AS IT MOVES TO DOUBLE THE AREA'S POPULATION AND CREATE A WHOLE NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD. BUT CAN THEY REPLICATE THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY FOR THE ELDERLY, WHO, FOR GENERATIONS, HAVE CALLED THOSE HOUSES HOMES? REWANI PARERA TAKES A LOOK AT THE HOUSING DEBATE THROUGH THE EYES OF A LONG-TERM RESIDENT. 62-YEAR-OLD NIKI RAUTI IS WATCHING HER TAMAKI COMMUNITY BEING RIPPED APART. (SOMBRE MUSIC) THEY HAD A FAMILY INSIDE THAT HOME. THEY WERE AN ELDERLY COUPLE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE NOW. SHE'S LIVED IN THIS STATE HOUSE FOR 21 YEARS. WHAT DOES 14 TANIWHA ST MEAN TO YOU? IT MEANS HOME. IT MEANS SECURITY, AND IT ALSO MEANS MEMORIES. THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME. BUT HER TIME'S UP. SHE'S ONE OF 25 EX-HOUSING NEW ZEALAND TENANTS WHO'VE BEEN FORCED OUT OF THEIR STATE HOMES TO MAKE WAY FOR MILLION-DOLLAR HOUSES. WE THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AUCKLAND'S GOT A HOUSING CRISIS. WE NEED THOUSANDS MORE HOMES, THIS IS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT. NIKI DOESN'T WANT A NEW HOUSE. SHE LOVES THE ONE SHE'S IN. SHE DOESN'T AGREE WITH UPROOTING POOR AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOMES THEY'VE LIVED IN FOR DECADES. SO NIKI IS TAKING ON A DEVELOPMENT COMPANY AND MAKING A STAND. IT'S VERY SCARY, COS I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A SITUATION LIKE. WHAT ARE YOU SCARED ABOUT? BEING HOMELESS, I GUESS. YEAH, BEING HOMELESS. MANY OF THE STATE HOMES HERE IN TAMAKI WERE BUILT AFTER WWII FOR RETURNING SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. HOUSING NEW ZEALAND WAS THEIR LANDLORD AND THEY PAID INCOME-RELATED RENTS. HOUSING NEW ZEALAND IS THE BIGGEST RESIDENTIAL LANDOWNER IN THE COUNTRY AND COULD FREE UP MORE LAND FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. JOHN KEY SIGNALLED THE GOVERNMENT'S DOWN-SIZING OF STATE HOMES IN 2015 AND SINCE THEN HAVE TRANSFERRED 10,000 TENANCIES TO COMMUNITY GROUPS AND IWI. THE NEW LANDLORD FOR 2800 STATE HOMES HERE IS THE TAMAKI REGENERATION COMPANY. THE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY IS JOINTLY OWNED BY THE CROWN AND AUCKLAND COUNCIL, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE SELLING. THE HOUSES ACROSS TAMAKI HAVE PROVIDED FAMILIES WITH MANY HOMES OVER THE YEARS, BUT THEY'VE DONE THEIR DASH. THEY'LL BE REPLACED WITH ABOUT 7500 NEW HOMES. THESE WILL BE WARM AND DRY, PROVIDING A BETTER START FOR TAMAKI CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. CEO JOHN HOLYOAKE SAYS TRC IS ABOUT MORE THAN BUILDING HOMES. THEY WANT TO TRANSFORM TAMAKI THROUGH URBAN RE-GENERATION. IT'S ABOUT LOOKING AT HOW YOU GET PEOPLE INTO HOME OWNERSHIP. IT'S ABOUT HOW YOU IMPROVE PEOPLE'S HEALTH, HOW YOU DECREASE CRIME RATES, HOW YOU IMPROVE EDUCATION OUTCOMES, LEVERAGING OFF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE DOING. TRC PLAN TO TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF HOUSES IN THE AREA TURNING THEM INTO NEW HOMES LIKE THIS. THEY SAY THEY'RE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY IN TAMAKI WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMAIN IN THE AREA. WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS STRESSFUL AND SCARY. WE'VE GOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO ACHIEVE HERE. WE CAN'T ACHIEVE IT IF WE LEAVE OLD HOUSES ON THE GROUND. WE NEED TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW HOUSES. TAMAKI REGENERATION CAN'T TELL US HOW MANY EX-HOUSING NEW ZEALAND TENANTS HAVE BEEN RE-HOUSED, BUT SAY MANY OF THE 24 WHO'VE HAD TO MOVE BECAUSE OF REDEVELOPMENT ARE LIVING IN NEW HOMES. BUT NOT EVERYONE IS SOLD ON THE NEW DEVELOPMENT. I SEE THIS AS A DESTRUCTION, OUR COMMUNITY ABSOLUTELY BEING DESTROYED, NOT ENHANCED, NOT MADE BETTER. LISA GIBSON FROM TAMAKI HOUSING GROUP HAS LIVED IN THE AREA FOR OVER 35 YEARS. SHE SAYS UPROOTING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES AFTER DECADES UNDER THE SAME ROOF CAN BE DAMAGING, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY. WHEN THEY GOT THEIR STATE HOMES, THEY GOT THEM AT A TIME WHERE IT WAS A HOME FOR LIFE. SO, THEY PUT THEIR ROOTS DOWN THERE. THEY RAISED THEIR CHILDREN THERE, GRANDCHILDREN AND THINGS LIKE THAT, PROBABLY NOT THINKING IN THE LATE STAGES OF THEIR LIVES, WHEN THEY'VE WORKED HARD, PAID THEIR TAXES, THEY'VE DILIGENTLY PAID THEIR RENT, THAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO HAVE THE POWER TO COME ALONG AND SAY SORRY YOU HAVE TO MOVE. NIKI WAS A TRUCK DRIVER AND ALSO WORKED AS A CHEF BEFORE HER HEART CONDITION FORCED HER ONTO A SICKNESS BENEFIT. SHE ALSO HAS ARTHRITIS AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. SOMEONE'S GOT TO SAY WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME, TO EVERYBODY, TO ALL STATE TENANTS IS NOT CORRECT. NIKI WAS GIVEN 90 DAYS TO VACATE HER PROPERTY IN OCTOBER. WE MEET HER THREE MONTHS ON IN MID-JANUARY, THE DAY BEFORE HER EVICTION DATE. HER COMMUNITY IS RIGHT BEHIND HER, ORGANISING A HIKOI OPPOSING THE RE-DEVELOPMENT. ALL CHANT: SAVE THIS WHARE FOR OUR WHANAU! HUNDREDS TURNED OUT TO SUPPORT NIKI AND HER STAND AGAINST THE PRIVATISATION OF STATE HOUSING. IT'S MY REALITY AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S SUFFERING OUT THERE. YOU GUYS HAVE BROKEN MY HEART TODAY. THANK YOU FOR COMING. IT WAS SO EMOTIONAL. IT WAS LIKE, I'M CALLING OUT FOR HELP AND THEY'RE COMING DOWN THE ROAD YOU KNOW. ALL THESE PEOPLE COMING AND SUPPORTING ME. THIS FIGHT ISN'T NEW. OVER THE YEARS THERE'S BEEN OPPOSITION IN THIS COMMUNITY OVER THE REMOVAL OF STATE HOMES, AND THE PROTESTS HAVEN'T ALWAYS GONE PEACEFULLY, WITH SCENES LIKE THIS IN 2011. NIKI HOPES HER REMOVAL WON'T COME TO THIS. TODAY IS D-DAY FOR NIKI ` THE DAY SET DOWN FOR HER TO MOVE OUT. NIKI'S ARMY OF SUPPORTERS ARE BACK. SOME NEVER LEFT FROM THE MARCH THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HAVE SET-UP CAMP AT TANIWHA ST. THIS IS NOW AN OCCUPATION. THE POWER COMPANY TRIED TO TURN OFF THE ELECTRICITY A WEEK EARLY, BUT NIKI'S MINDFUL THAT TRC COULD COME AT ANY TIME FROM NOW TO CHANGE THE LOCKS. MY LIFE IS NOT SECURE FROM NOW ONWARDS. IT'S GOING TO BE A HARD. IT'S GOING TO BE A HARD SLOG, BUT I'M HERE. TAMAKI REGENERATION HAVE OFFERED NIKI A NUMBER OF HOUSING OPTIONS, LIKE IN THIS BLOCK OF TWO-STOREYED UNITS. BUT WITH NIKI'S POOR HEALTH, THE STAIRS HERE MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HER TO LIVE IN. WE'VE MADE A NUMBER OF OFFERS AND WILL CONTINUE TO. WE'RE NOT THE SORT OF LANDLORD THAT'S GOING TO SIT THERE NOW AND GO, 'HEY, WE'VE GOT POSSESSION 'OF THIS PROPERTY. WE CAN JUST MOVE IN AND TAKE OVER.' WE WILL CONTINUE FOR AS LONG AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO WORK WITH MRS RAUTI TO FIND HER AN ALTERNATIVE PROPERTY THAT SUITS HER. IT'S ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD NOW, BUT NIKI FEARS THAT ONCE FULLY DEVELOPED AND BUILT-UP, THESE HOMES WON'T BE SO DESIRABLE IN YEARS TO COME. THEY'VE CREATED A GHETTO. RIGHT FROM THE START, WE SAID THAT THEY'D CREATE GHETTOS, AND THEY'D CREATE PLACES WHERE THEY CAN KEEP US BEHIND BARS, AND THAT AREA OVER THERE WILL BE FOR THE POOR, AND THAT GATED AREA OVER THERE, THAT LOVELY WILL BE FOR THE RICH. 7500 HOMES WILL BE BUILT. MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE WILL BE SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. THIS HOUSING PROJECT WON'T INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOMES FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN NEED. THEY'RE TRYING TO SAY THINGS LIKE, 'WE'RE PUTTING UP AFFORDABLE HOUSING.' BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR WHO? UP WHERE NIKI IS, I SEE THAT AS ABSOLUTE GENTRIFICATION. THEY'RE SHIFTING OUT THE POOR TO SHIFT IN ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE MORE AFFLUENT. TODAY IS DAY 30 OF THE OCCUPATION. NIKI'S GOT WORD FROM THE TENANCY TRIBUNAL THAT SHE CAN STAY HERE FOR NOW, BUT THE STRESS OF THIS ONGOING BATTLE IS CLEARLY TAKING ITS TOLL ON HER. IS IT TIRING DOING ALL OF THIS, NIKI? IT IS. I'M VERY TIRED. BUT I KNEW IT WASN'T GOING TO BE EASY. JOHN, WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED THERE FOR A LONG TIME? BECAUSE YOU ARE BREAKING UP COMMUNITIES AREN'T YOU? WE'RE BUILDING NEW COMMUNITIES. THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE AT THE MOMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THERE. WE'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE THEM TO A WHOLE LOT OF NEW PEOPLE. WE'D LIKE TO THINK THAT PEOPLE THAT CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE WILL HELP US BUILD THOSE COMMUNITIES. MORE THAN A MONTH ON FROM HER EVICTION DATE, THE TENANCY TRIBUNAL HAVE NOW TERMINATED NIKI'S TENANCY, BUT THEY STILL HAVEN'T KICKED HER OUT OF HOME. HER NEXT STEP IS TO TAKE HER CASE TO THE DISTRICT COURT. I'M SAFE FOR THE TIME BEING UNTIL WE ENTER COURT. AND AS NIKI'S FIGHT GOES ON, SO TOO DOES THE TRANSFER OF HOMES. THOUSANDS MORE STATE TENANCIES LIKE HERS IN TAURANGA AND CHRISTCHURCH ARE SOON BEING HANDED OVER TO PRIVATE COMPANIES. I THINK THE GOVERNMENT RELEASING ITS ITSELF OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS CONSTITUENTS, ESPECIALLY THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR SOCIETY IS WRONG, VERY WRONG. STATE HOUSING NEEDS TO STAY IN THE HANDS OF THE STATE. NA RUWANI PERERA TERA PURONGO. HEI MURI I NGA WHAKATAIRANGA, E WHAKATETE ANA NGA TANIWHA O WAIKATO. WE DELVE INTO THE TURF WAR FOR HAURAKI-WAIKATO. THE MAORI KING, KINGI TUHEITIA, HAS NAILED THE KINGITANGA'S COLOURS TO THE MAORI PARTY'S MAST. AT A POUKAI AT PARAWERA THIS WEEK, HE ENDORSED TRIBAL LEADER RAHUI PAPA FOR THE HAURAKI-WAIKATO SEAT. AND IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE, HE HAS SEVERED TIES WITH HIS COUSIN, NANAIA MAHUTA, PROCLAIMING SHE STANDS WITH LABOUR, NOT THE KINGITANGA. IT'S BEEN CALLED A GAME-CHANGER. HAURAKI-WAIKATO VOTERS WILL HAVE TWO STRONG CANDIDATES TO CHOOSE FROM, BUT THE FOLLOWERS OF THE KING MOVEMENT` FOR THE FOLLOWERS OF THE KING MOVEMENT, THE DIRECTION COULD BE A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW. SO, JOINING ME NOW TO DISCUSS THIS IS FORMER LABOUR PARTY MAN SHANE TE POU AND FORMER MAORI PARTY CANDIDATE AND STAGGER, CHRIS MCKENZIE. TENA KORUA. KIA ORA. IS THIS A GAME-CHANGER? NO, NOT IN ITSELF. IT'S NOT A GAME-CHANGER IN ITSELF. UH, THIS SEAT WILL BE LOST AT MANUREWA AND PAPAKURA, NOT AT, UH` NOT IN THE POLLING BOOTS AROUND TURANGAWAEWAE. I THINK THE KING HAS BEEN POORLY ADVISED, AND THAT HE'S BEEN USED UNWISELY. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? GAME-CHANGER? I'M NOT SURE IT'S A GAME-CHANGER, BUT HASN'T IT ADDED SOME EXCITEMENT TO THE RACE? I MEAN, UH, NANAIA'S HELD THAT SEAT BY A LARGE MARGIN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. GOOD 8000 MAJORITY. THIS WILL SHORTEN IT UP. I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. THE MAORI PARTY WILL BE HAPPY WITH THIS ENDORSEMENT. DO YOU THINK THEY'LL BE HAPPY WITH THE STYLE OF POLITICS THAT WENT WITH IT? THERE WAS A PERSONAL ATTACK ON A WAHINE MAORI ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S WEEK. WHAT I THINK THE PARTY WILL SAY IS THAT THEY ACT WITH INTEGRITY IN WHAT THEY DO, AND OTHER PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE HOW THEY SAID IT, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT WAS AN ATTACK ON NANAIA. I WOULD SAY IT WAS AN ATTACK ON THE LABOUR PARTY, WHICH HAS CONSISTENTLY PUT THEIR MAORI PEOPLE, WHO ARE ON THEIR ROLLS, BACK, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE KING HAS NOTED IN THAT TIME ` THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO SUPPORT A PARTY THAT CONTINUES TO DEMOTE SOME OF OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST. ALTHOUGH THAT WASN'T THE HOMEGROUND OF THE LABOUR PARTY. THAT WAS HER ROHE, HER WAHI, AND HE SAID THINGS LIKE SHE ISN'T WITH THE KINGITANGA ANY MORE. SHE'S WITH THE LABOUR PARTY. THEY MUST HAVE BEEN SOME HURTFUL COMMENTS FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S FROM THE KINGITANGA. LOOK, I HAVE NOTHING BUT THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR NANAIA. FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, I THINK THAT SHE SERVED HER PEOPLE WELL, AND AS FOR THE KINGITANGA MOVEMENT, IT'S A POLITICAL MOVEMENT IN ITSELF, STARTING FROM A POLITICAL ACTION A LONG, LONG TIME AGO, AND THEIR LEADERSHIP WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WORDS THAT THEY USE. THE KING SPOKE` IN HIS SPEECH THE OTHER DAY, HE TALKED ABOUT HOW PARTY OF THE REASON WAS THAT MAHUTA HAD BEEN DEMOTED BY THE LABOUR PARTY. DOES THE LABOUR PARTY HAVE TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT? I'M NOT HERE TO DEFEND THE LABOUR PARTY. I THINK THAT THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP IS POOR, AND I THINK THE RESULTS IN SEPTEMBER WOULD NOT BE WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE HOPED FOR. UH, BUT THAT IN ITSELF ISN'T ACTUALLY TRUE. YOU WOULD SEE THAT` I THINK THREE OR FOUR OUT OF THE MAORI MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ARE IN OUR SHADOW CABINET AND WILL FEATURE. I THINK IF LABOUR IS ABLE TO FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT, SHE'S CHOSEN TO UNDERTAKE SOME WORK FOR HER HAPU, FOR HER IWI, AND I CONGRATULATE HER ON THAT. SHE'S A VERY DECENT WOMAN. I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT THE ENDORSEMENT, BECAUSE IT'S AN INTERESTING THING, HAVING AN ENDORSEMENT. YOU HAD AN ENDORSEMENT FROM DAME TARIANA TURIA. SOMETIMES IT POSSIBLY COULD BE A BURDEN, AN ENDORSEMENT, BUT SHE'S GOT ONE FROM THE KINGITANGA. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHERE DOES RAHUI PAPA'S RESPONSIBILITIES LIE. IS IT WITH THE KINGITANGA, OR IS IT WITH THE CONSTITUENTS OF HAURAKI-WAIKATO? NO, IT HAS TO BE WITH THE CONSTITUENTS OF HAURAKI-WAIKATO IF HE'S CHASING THEIR MANDATE, AND AS I SAID, THERE ARE SOME HUGE ISSUES. YOU KNOW, I'M A POLITICAL OPERATIVE. I KNOW HOW TO RUN CAMPAIGNS. THIS IS GONNA BE WON AND LOST IN SOUTH AUCKLAND. THE ISSUE WILL NOT BE AROUND THE KINGITANGA. THE ISSUE WILL BE AROUND HOUSING, HEALTH AND EDUCATION. AND OUR PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS, PARTICULARLY, HAVE NOT BENEFITTED AS A RESULT OF THE COALITION MATCH-UP BETWEEN THE MAORI PARTY AND NATIONAL, AND THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD IN TERMS OF THE MAORI PARTY. HE'S A VERY STRONG CANDIDATE. HE HAS A LOT OF RESPECT IN WAIKATO, AND HE HAS THE ENDORSEMENT OF KING, WHICH IS MORE SUPPORT TO HIM. DO YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THAT EASY FOR HIM? AS SHANE SAYS, THIS IS HAURAKI, NOT JUST WAIKATO. THERE'S PAPAKURA AND THAT AREA AS WELL. RAHUI IS COMFORTABLE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. HE'S BEEN IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION IN EVERY LEVEL IN EVERY STAGE OF HIS LIFE. HE WILL HANDLE THIS IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. HE WILL GO ABOUT HIS WORK, AND HE WILL DO WELL IF HE'S LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT HIS PEOPLE. I AGREE IN PARTS WITH WHAT SHANE'S SAYING, THAT THERE IS A BATTLE TO BE HAD IN SOUTH AUCKLAND, BUT I'M FINDING THAT ON THE GROUND, PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND, AND I KNOW IT'S RHETORIC COMING FROM THE LABOUR PARTY QUITE A BIT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE MAORI PARTY-NATIONAL PARTY THAT'S CAUSING THESE UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF POVERTY, BUT I'M FINDING THAT, ACTUALLY, PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE LEVELS OF POVERTY HAVE PERSISTED THROUGH GOVERNMENTS. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S A RED GOVERNMENT OR A BLUE GOVERNMENT. IT'S BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME. LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT THAT SEAT, HAURAKI-WAIKATO, BECAUSE IN THE LAST ELECTION, NANAIA HAD THREE TIMES AS MANY VOTES AS THE SECOND CANDIDATE. BUT THIS DEAL, THE MANA-MAORI DEAL, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? ARE YOU EXPECTING MANA VOTES TO COME YOUR WAY, TO COME THE MAORI PARTY'S WAY? WHAT I'M EXPECTING IS THAT SOME OF THOSE MANA VOTES WILL COME OUR WAY. THERE WILL BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO` THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED MANA LAST TIME WILL CHOSE WHO IS THE OPTION FOR THEM THIS TIME AROUND. THIS TIME AROUND, THOUGH, THEY WILL BE ENCOURAGE BY OUR PARTY TO CONSIDER OUR CANDIDATE, SO AS A RESULT, I THINK WE'LL GET A FEW MORE. I THINK, ALSO, THAT LAST TIME, THERE WAS SOME CONFLICT BETWEEN THE MANA AND MAORI PARTIES. YOU WON'T SEE ANY OF THAT THIS TIME, AND, ACTUALLY, OUR PEOPLE ARE DISAPPOINTED BY THAT, AND THEY SAID, 'DON'T DO IT,' SO WE HAVEN'T DONE IT THIS TIME AROUND, AND I THINK THAT WILL BEING A FEW MORE PEOPLE ON BOARD, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO WIN THAT SEAT. AND I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THAT THERE'S CONFLICT NOW BETWEEN THE MAORI PARTY AND NANAIA, LABOUR, SO WE HAVE THE SAME KIND OF CONFLICT. YOU KNOW ANGELINE GREENSILL. YES, I DO. DO YOU THINK VOTES ARE COMING THE MAORI PARTY'S WAY? (INHALES SHARPLY) WELL... THAT PEOPLE WILL SUPPORT HER? I THINK THERE WILL BE A CONSCIOUSNESS AROUND THE ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND I DISAGREE WITH CHRIS. I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN UNCOUPLE THE MAORI PARTY AND THE NATIONAL PARTY THIS LATE IN THE PIECE. UM, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE LIKE MANA ACTIVISTS, LIKE JOHN MINTO, LIKE SUE BRADFORD, LIKE ANNETTE SYKES, WILL BE VERY DISHEARTENED ABOUT THIS COUPLING UP WITH THE MAORI PARTY, AND WHAT IT MEANS IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMIC MOVEMENT THAT THEY TRIED TO RAISE DURING THE LAST ELECTION, LOOKING AFTER THE POOREST OF THE POOR, AND I THINK THE SADDEST THING ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS THAT THOSE PEOPLE MAY WELL BECOME UNREPRESENTED THIS ELECTION CYCLE. I JUST WANNA BRING UP ONE THING. NANAIA, WELL, YOU KNOW, SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS A BIT MAMAE WITH THE KORERO WITH THE KING. BUT WE DIDN'T ANYONE COME AND SEE HER FROM THE LABOUR PARTY. WOULD YOU HAVE EXPECTED WILLIE JACKSON TO GET IN THERE? ISN'T THAT HIS ROLE? I THINK THAT` THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME. I REMEMBER DISTINCTLY WHEN PAREKURA WAS DEMOTED. THEY ARE GOOD SERVANTS. ANYBODY WHO PUTS THEIR HAND UP, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PARTY, WHO IS MAORI, THEY ARE GOOD SERVANTS, SO THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ROCK THAT BOAT AT ALL, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE PROBLEM. WE'RE A SUBSET OF A PARTY LIKE LABOUR. AND SO I THINK IT IS DISAPPOINTED THAT PEOPLE HAVEN'T COME TO HER AID, AND POSSIBLY THEY SHOULD HAVE. WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, I AGREE, CHRIS. I THINK LITTLE'S RESPONSE WAS, YOU KNOW, LIKE A WARM CUP OF TEA. IN FACT, THE MOST RESPONSIVE AND MOST DIRECT THAT GOT THE ISSUE DEAD RIGHT WAS WINSTON PETERS IN THIS INSTANCE. I THINK THAT PAKEHA` WHERE IN THE WORLD WAS WILLIE JACKSON? I DON'T KNOW. HEARD A LOT FROM HIM IN WEEKS PRIOR. I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR LABOUR TO ASK. PERHAPS THEY'RE SAVING THEIR POWDER. BUT IT WAS VERY HARD TO GAUGE WHAT NANAIA'S RESPONSE WAS GONNA BE, BECAUSE I THINK SHE IS DEEPLY HURT BY THIS, AND SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE. I THINK THIS WAS VERY POOR FORM. IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY INTERESTING SIX MONTHS. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING ON, AND I EXPECT TO SEE YOU AGAIN OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. KIA ORA. TENA KOTOUA. KIA MAU TONU MAI RA E TE IWI, AKUANEI KA KORERO AHAU KI TE KAIARAHI O TE OPPORTUNITIES PARTY. GARETH MORGAN IS WITH US NEXT. IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT ME. THERE ARE A LOT OF FRIGHTENED PEOPLE OUT THERE. HOKI MAI ANO. WE'RE NOW SIX MONTHS OUT FROM THE ELECTION, AND IF THE ACTIVITY IN THE MAORI SEATS HEATS UP ANY MORE THEY'LL CATCH FIRE. ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR ANY OTHER PARTY'S POLICIES, BUT ONE MAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY. GARETH MORGAN, LEADER OF THE OPPORTUNITIES PARTY, THINKS HIS POLICIES ARE MORE IN LINE WITH THAN ANY OTHER PARTY, AND HE JOINS ME NOW TO TELL ME WHY. TENA KOE. MORENA. MORNING, MIHI. SO YOU'RE NOT STANDING IN THE MAORI SEATS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT YOU ARE ASKING FO THE PARTY VOTE. WHY WOULD MAORI VOTE FOR YOU? WELL, THE ONLY REASON I'M IN POLITICS, AND I AM A RELUCTANT ENTRANT, I CAN TELL YOU NOW, IS THAT I'M JUST SICK OF THE SAME-OLD, SAME-OLD WITHOUT ANY PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT HERE. GDP'S RISING, GDP PER CAPITA'S RISING, AND YET AGAINST THAT BACKDROP, WE'VE GOT RISING INEQUALITY, RISING POVERTY AND NOW THIS RIDICULOUS LACK OF AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING. SO OUR POLICY PACKAGE IS ALL ABOUT FIXING THOSE PROBLEMS. OK, LET'S GET INTO IT, BECAUSE MAORI TAMARIKI, CHILDREN, ARE OVER-REPRESENTED IN SO MANY AREAS, BUT LOTS OF THEM ARE LIVING UNDER THE POVERTY LINE. YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF INTERESTING POLICIES YOU THINK WILL FIX THAT. TELL US ABOUT THE UNIVERSAL WAGE ` UH, THE 200 A WEEK ` AND THE EARLY CHILDHOOD. SO WE'RE GOING TO ANNOUNCE NEXT TUESDAY THE UBI, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOTTA DO THIS IN STEPS BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF MONEY INVOLVED, AND WE'VE GOTTA DO A LOT OF JUGGLING TO MAKE IT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. BUT IN ESSENCE, WE'RE GOING TO START THAT FOR FAMILIES WITH VERY YOUNG CHILDREN. THEY WILL GET, UM, A UBI. SO THESE ARE KIDDIES UNDER 3. SO, TELL US WHAT A UBI IS. IF YOU'VE GOT A MUM AND A DAD, AND THREE OR FOUR KIDS, AND THEY'RE ALL UNDER A CERTAIN AGE? THEN YOU GET AN UNCONDITIONAL BASIC INCOME. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO WINZ OR ANYTHING TO QUALIFY FOR THIS. YOU GET IT, WEEK IN, WEEK OUT, ALL YEAR. SO EVERYONE GETS THAT? EVERYBODY GETS IT, BECAUSE ALL THE RESEARCH TELLS US THAT FAMILIES ARE UNDER STRESS MOST WITH THE VERY YOUNG CHILDREN. THOSE ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE YEARS. SO YOU'RE GONNA INJECT CASH INTO THEIR LIVES? THAT'S RIGHT, TOTALLY, BECAUSE THE RESEARCH TELLS US AGAIN THAT THE NUMBER-ONE INSTRUMENT HERE, IN TERMS OF ITS POTENCY, IS CASH. THERE'S OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO, BUT CASH IS BY FAR NUMBER ONE. AND TELL US, IF YOU HAD YOUNG KIDS UNDER 5, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA GET FOR FREE? SO WE WANT TO BRING FREE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, HIGH-QUALITY, FULL-TIME. IT'S NOT COMPULSORY, BUT ANYBODY CAN ACCESS IT, BECAUSE ONE OF THE BITS OF DATA COMING OUT OF THE EDUCATION SIDE IS THAT WE'RE GETTING KIDDIES ARRIVING AT SCHOOL, 5 YEARS OLD, TWO YEARS BEHIND, AND THEY NEVER EVER MAKE IT UP, SO WE HAVE TO STOP THAT. SO EVEN IF YOU'RE WORKING, AND YOU'RE PAYING $200 OR $300 A WEEK TO THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE CENTRE DOWN THE ROAD, THAT'S GONNA BE FREE? IT'S GONNA BE FREE, THAT'S RIGHT, AND THE QUALITY'S COMING UP. THAT'S THE OTHER THING. SO YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT RETRAINING OR LIGHTING THE BAR? WE'RE LOOKING TO INVEST. WELL, IT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA BECOME A BIGGER EMPLOYER THAN IT IS NOW WITH QUALIFIED TEACHERS, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AFTER AND GETTING THESE KIDDIES SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THIS MASSIVE DISPARITY WHEN THEY HIT SCHOOL. OK, LET'S LOOK AT OUR ELDERLY, BECAUSE OUR KAUMATUA, THIS` RECENTLY WITH THE SHIFT FROM 65 TO 67, THE SUPER, THAT'S GONNA AFFECT MAORI, KAUMATUA, EVEN MORE WITH OUR SEVEN-YEAR LIFE EXPECTANCY. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT PLANNED FOR KAUMATUA? WELL, I DON'T LIKE THE MOVING FROM 65 TO 67, I CAN TELL YOU THAT. I THINK THAT` SO YOU'LL KEEP IT AT 65? OH, YEAH, TOTALLY. UM, BUT THE THING THAT DOES CONCERN ME WITH NEW ZEALAND SUPER IS THAT WE'RE ALL GETTING IT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF US COMING WITH THE BABY BOOMERS, SO THE BILL IS TOO BIG. I MEAN, I'M ONE YEAR, MYSELF AND MY WIFE, ONE YEAR AWAY FROM GETTING 40 GRAND. I DON'T NEED A CENT OF THIS. SO YOU'RE GONNA MEANS TEST IT? SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS THEY'RE GONNA GET THE UBI AS WELL, WHICH WILL BE LOWER THAN THE CURRENT RATE OF NZ SUPER, AND IF THEY WANT THE REST, IT WILL BE MEANS-TESTED. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'VE WORKED IN FORESTRY AND YOU'VE HAD A TOUGH LIFE AND AT 62, YOU CAN'T WORK ANY MORE, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SLOW DOWN THERE AND RECEIVE SOMETHING? WELL, AT THE MOMENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE` WELL, YOU'VE GOT THE UBI. SO HOW MUCH IS THAT? WELL, AT THE MOMENT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE ABLE TO AFFORD 10 GRAND. SO 10 K A YEAR? A YEAR FOR A KORO WHO'S NOT WORKING ANY MORE, AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, HE GETS OTHER ALLOWANCES. THAT'S RIGHT, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE HARDSHIP ALLOWANCES OR WHATEVER. OR HOUSING SUPPORT. I MEAN, THE HOUSING SUPPORT'S AN INTERESTING ONE, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THAT IS IT'S JUST FUNDING PEOPLE TO STAY IN AUCKLAND. I WOULD RATHER USE THAT MORE WISELY, AND HAVE THEM GOING BACK INTO THE REGIONS, BECAUSE I'VE JUST COME FROM DUNEDIN AND INVERCARGILL, AND THEY'RE CRYING OUT FOR PEOPLE TO WORK THERE. THERE'S NO PEOPLE. THE HOUSING IS CHEAP. THE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS WHY ON EARTH AREN'T PEOPLE MOVING THERE? I THINK HOUSING AN ACCOMMODATION SUPPLEMENTS IS JUST KEEPING THEM IN AUCKLAND. WHICH PARTIES DO YOU THINK YOU CAN WORK WITH? SO, IN TERMS OF THE MAORI PARTIES ` YOU'VE GOT MANA-MAORI, AND YOU'VE GOT THE LABOUR CAUCUS AND THE GREENS. IS THERE ANYONE? WELL, I'VE SAID THAT WE'LL WORK WITH ANYBODY. SO, NATIONAL AND LABOUR, ONE OF WHICH WILL BE THE SENIOR PARTNER IN THE COALITION, OBVIOUSLY WITH THEM, I GET ON WITH THOSE GUYS. IN TERMS OF THE MAORI REPRESENTATION, THEN JUST WHOEVER COMES THROUGH. I MEAN, WHAT I'M SAYING TO MAORI VOTERS IS GIVE US YOUR PARTY VOTE, BECAUSE WERE DOING MORE FOR THE POOR AND MAORI ARE OVER-REPRESENTED IN THE POOR THAN ALL THE REST OF THEM PUT TOGETHER. THERE'S JUST NO COMPARISON. KIA ORA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VERY INTERESTING POLICIES. THANKS FOR COMING ON THE SHOW THIS MORNING. KIA ORA. THANKS, MIHI. HEI TERA WIKI I RUNGA I TE HUI. I'M A SOLDIER. I'M A FIGHTER. I'M A WARRIOR. GABRIELLE WHAREHINGA'S A YOUNG MAN IN THE FIGHT OF HIS LIFE. HIS BATTLEGROUND ` THE CHEMO UNIT AT ROTORUA HOSPITAL. UH, I SIT DOWN, JUST GET AS COMFORTABLE AS I CAN, AND THEN THE NURSES COME IN. THEY HOOK ME UP. HE'S FOUGHT CANCER TWICE. THE FIRST TIME, HE WAS MISDIAGNOSED AND GIVEN ANTIBIOTICS. THE SECOND TIME, HE WENT FOR WEEKS WITHOUT TREATMENT. ONE OF THE SILLY THINGS THAT THE ONCOLOGIST TOLD US ` 'IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN JUST GO HOME.' (CHUCKLES) YEAH, THAT WAS, UM, JUST SUCH A KICK IN THE STOMACH, HAVING MY BOY HEAR THAT, BUT... GABE'S REAL GOOD. HE JUST SAID, 'NO, I WANNA BE TREATED, COS I CAN FIGHT THIS AGAIN.' NOW THE 19-YEAR-OLD'S BATTLING EWING'S SARCOMA, AND LIFE-AND-DEATH BATTLE HE BELIEVES COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. AND I BEGAN TO QUESTION, 'IS THIS IT? IS THIS THE END?' WELL, THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY, HUI HOPPERS. WE'LL POST LINKS TO THE SHOW ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND ON TWITTER AT THE HUINZ. OTHERWISE, YOU'LL FIND ALL OUR STORIES ON THE NEWSHUB SITE. KUA HIKINA TE HUI MO TEENEI RA. THE NATION'S NEXT. PAI MARIRE KI A TATOU KATOA. CAPTIONS BY ALANA DRAYTON. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2017 HE MEA TAUTOKO NGA TE MANGAI PAHO. THE HUI WAS MADE WITH FUNDING FROM THE NEW ZEALAND ON AIR PLATINUM FUND.