CAPTIONS BY LENA ERAKOVICH AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ ABLE 2023 TENA KOUTOU ` NAU MAI HAERE MAI. WELCOME TO Q+A ` I'M JACK TAME. TODAY, IS CHRISTOPHER LUXON NEW ZEALAND'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER? MOST OF US ARE GOING BACKWARDS, AND NEW ZEALAND SHOULD BE A COUNTRY WHERE IF YOU WORK HARD, YOU CAN GET AHEAD. WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ONE OF THE MOST KEENLY CONTESTED MAORI ELECTORATES. AND THE ANABASHEDLY OUTSPOKEN RAWIRI WAITITI. AND THE UNABASHEDLY OUTSPOKEN RAWIRI WAITITI. YOU WERE SUSPENDED FROM PARLIAMENT FOR APPEARING TO BREACH NAME SUPPRESSION FOR A CASE CURRENTLY BEFORE THE COURTS. WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU DOING? WHAT ON EARTH WERE THEY DOING SUSPENDING ME? WE'LL HAVE THAT INTERVIEW SHORTLY, BUT WE BEGIN THIS MORNING WITH NATIONAL LEADER CHRISTOPHER LUXON. A WEEK INTO THE FORMAL CAMPAIGN, POLLING TRENDS SUGGEST HIS PARTY IS LEADING, AND THAT IF THEY CONTINUE, LUXON COULD SOON BE IN A POSITION TO BECOME NEW ZEALAND'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER. CHRISTOPHER LUXON, GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. I WILL BREAK THE INTERVIEW INTO TWO PARTS. FOR THE FIRST PART I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT VALUES. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE SQUEEZE MIDDLE, NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE CRUSHED BOTTOM. HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU COMMITTING TO BUILDINGS STATE HOUSES? WHEN YOU BUY A HOUSE OR RENT A HOUSE, YOU GO ON A STATE HOUSING LIST, THEY ARE CONNECTED ISSUES. YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL THREE ASPECTS IF YOU WANT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE THINK WE CAN MAKE BETTER USE OF COMMUNITY HOUSING PROVIDERS. THEY ARE NIMBLE AND QUICK AND HAVE GOOD PASTORAL CARE SUPPORT. THE SECOND IS HOW TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF MOTELS AND CARS WE SHOULD MAKE THEM PRIORITY ONE AND MOVE THEM TO THE TOP OF THE WAITLIST. AND WE HAVE TO DO A REVIEW OF KAINGA ORA. WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO EVICT UNRULY TENANTS THAT ARE CAUSING MAJOR PROBLEMS AND GO THROUGH THEIR PROCUREMENT AND ASSET MANAGEMENT EXERCISES. THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE FUNCTIONING IN A BETTER WAY. HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU COMMITTING TO? WE ARE ON THE SAME TRACK, WE ARE COMMITTING TO WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND. WHAT YOU COMMITTING TO? EXACTLY THE SAME TRACK IS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO. SO YOU WILL BUILD MORE STATE HOUSES BUT WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY? WE WILL ADD ABOUT 6000 HOMES WE HOPE TO HAVE ABOUT 80,000 SOCIAL HOUSING OVER FOUR YEARS. 6000 OVER FOUR YEARS? SO WILL BE THE SAME TRACK OF THE GOVERNMENT. SAME BUDGET. SAME NUMBER OF HOUSES ARE ACTUALLY NO DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO STATE HOUSING. THE WAY WE WILL HAVE MORE HOUSES IS THE FACT WE WILL BUILD MORE HOUSES IN THE PRIVATE MARKET. WE WILL RESTORE THE PRIVATE FUNCTIONING OF THAT RENTAL MARKET AND WE WILL HAVE MORE RENTAL PROPERTIES AVAILABLE. WE WILL MAINTAIN A TRACK ON SOCIAL HOUSING. TO BE TOTALLY CLEAR, THE SOCIAL HOUSING YOU ARE GOING TO BUILD THE SAME NUMBER OF HOUSES AS THE GOVERNMENT, YOU WILL PUT NO EXTRA FUNDING, BUT YOU WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOUSES. THE REST PLENTY OF FUNDING, WE WANT BETTER DELIVERY. WE WANT TO CAPITAL FUNDING INTO COMMUNITY PROVIDERS. SO NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WE DO WANT TO TAKE $50 MILLION AND PUT IT TO A SOCIAL INVESTMENT FUND AND BOND TO SAY HOW CAN WE DEAL WITH THE INTRACTABLE PROBLEM OF EMERGENCY HOUSING AND GET CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE WITH PROVIDERS. THEY CAN FIND A SOLUTION IS THAT GET PEOPLE OUT OF THOSE MOTELS AND CARS IN THE SHORT TERM AND STICK A ACCOMMODATION IN THE MEDIUM TO LONG-TERM. YOUR PARTY WANTS TO REFORM KAINGA ORA TO BE ABLE TO EVICT TENANTS. WE WILL THEY GO? THAT WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KAINGA ORA` PLEASE EXPLAIN WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO GO. IN THE LAST 14 MONTHLY HAVE BEEN 10,000 COMPLAINTS OF UNRULY BEHAVIOUR AND ALSO ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN KAINGA ORA PROPERTIES. THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN TWO EVICTIONS OF TENANTS. WHERE DO THEY GO? THERE ARE NOW 24,000 PEOPLE ON A STATEHOUSE WAITLIST. PLEASE ANSWER IT. WHERE DO THOSE TENANTS THAT YOU HAVE EVICTED GO? IT WILL BE UP FOR KO TO FIND PROPERTIES FOR THEM. JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO BE MOVING THE PROBLEM TO SOMEONE ELSE. I AM GOING TO BE PRIVATISING SOMEBODY WANTS A STATEHOUSE NOT SOMEONE WHO IS DISRESPECTING IT. YOU ARE MOVING THE DECK CHAIRS. YOU CANNOT SAY I'M GOING TO W SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR WILL PRESUMABLY CONTINUE. IT IS JUST NOT FAIR, JACK. IT SOUNDS GOOD WHEN YOU SAY WE ARE GOING TO KICK PEOPLE OUT FOR BEING UNRULY. BUT WHETHER THEY GO, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY JUST DISAPPEAR INTO THIN AIR. I AM INTERESTED IN THE PEOPLE ON THE WAITLIST WHO DESERVE A HOME WHO WANT THE SHOT. LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THE DEAL. THE TAXPAYER IS PAYING FOR THOSE HOUSES. IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A RESPONSIBLE TO YOUR LOOKING AFTER IT AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS, WE WANT THEM OUT OF THERE AND GIVE IT TO SOMEONE WHO DESERVE IT. HOUSES MORE EXPENSIVE NOW? THE AVERAGE PRICE IS ABOUT $900,000 MORE EXPENSIVE. AT THE END OF THE JOHN KEY AND BILL AND LUCIUS, WE WERE CALLING IT A CRISIS. OH DEFINITELY. THIS IS THE END OF THE LAST NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. WHAT MODELLING HAVE YOU DONE ON THE IMPACT OF LOWERING THE BRIGHT LINE TEST ON HOUSE PRICES? WE WILL PUT DOWNWARD PRESSURE` WHAT MODELLING HAVE YOU DONE? TREASURY HAS DONE MODELLING. WHAT MODELLING HAVE YOU DONE ON THE IMPACT OF HOUSE PRICES ON THE INTRODUCTION OF DEDUCTIBILITY AND THE LOWERING OF THE BRIGHT LINE TEST? WHEN YOU WANT TO OPEN UP GREENFIELDS LIKE WE WANT... SCRAP THE MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL STANDARDS... YOU HAVEN'T MODELLED THAT. IT WAS A CRISIS AT THE END OF THE LAST NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND I KNOW THAT NET MIGRATION IS ALMOST BACK AT RECORD LEVELS, AT 86,000 TO THE END OF JUNE - WHAT IS TO STOP US IN THE UP IN THE SAME POSITION? WE HAVE TO DO THREE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME. I AM FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE WE SOLVE THE HOUSING PROBLEM IN NEW ZEALAND. YOU ARE RETURNING THE POLICY SETTINGS TO THE EXACT SAME THING WE HAD AT THE START OF THE CRISIS. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD MORE HOUSES SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE A SHOT AT BUYING A HOUSE, WE NEED TO GET COUNCILS AND TOWNS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND TO GO AND REZONE LAND FOR 30 YEARS OF HOUSING GROWTH, YOU NEED TO INTRODUCE INNOVATIVE FUNDING AND FINANCIALS TO ALLOW DEVELOPERS TO DEVELOP, AND THIRDLY WE ARE GOING TO PAY COUNCILS AND IT IS AMAZING AND THAT AND THIRDLY WE ARE GOING TO PAY COUNCILS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT YOU ARE GOING TO REMOVE THE COMPULSION AROUND MEDIUM DENSITY. A COUNCIL CAN CAN DETERMINE WHETHER THEY KEEP THOSE RULES ` OTHERS MAY CHOOSE TO DENSER FILO CITIES OVER TRANSPORT PUMPS WHICH WE OTHERS MAY CHOOSE TO DENSER FILO CITIES OVER TRANSPORT HUBS WHICH WE FULLY SUPPORT. ARE YOU GOING TO LOWER YOUR RENTS ON YOUR PROPERTIES? IT'S NOT ABOUT MY PROPERTIES. IT'S REASONABLE, ISN'T IT? YOU HAVE MULTIPLE INVESTMENT PROPERTIES. WE ARE GOING TO PUT DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON RENTS BY UNWINDING THE BRIGHT LIGHT TEST AND CHANGING DEDUCTIBILITY AND TENANCY LAWS. THAT IS ADVISEE THAT THE GOVERNMENT PUT IN PLACE TO THIS GOVERNMENT - TREASURY. YOU'RE NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTION. ARE YOU GOING TO BE LOWERING RENTS? I HAVEN'T THOUGHT THAT THROUGH. BUT WHY WOULDN'T YOU? WE HAVE A HOUSING PROBLEM AND NEW ZEALAND. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS. THIS GOVERNMENT HAS MADE THINGS WORSE. YOU HAVE TO WORK ON ALL THREE COMPONENTS OF HOUSING. YOU ARE REINSTATING THE INCENTIVES THAT LED TO THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS... LET'S HAVE A CHAT ABOUT THAT. THE BRIGHT LINE TEST AND INTEREST DEDUCTIBILITY, THAT DOESN'T ADDRESS MY QUESTION ABOUT INCENTIVES FOR LANDLORDS. WE NEED A PRIVATE RENTAL MARKET ARRANGEMENT. WE HAD PEOPLE WITH RENTS GOING UP BY $50 A WEEK. THIS IS QUITE SERIOUS STUFF. WE NEED A FUNCTIONING RENTAL MARKET AND WE ALSO WANT TO BUILD TO RENT PRODUCTS, WE WANT TO TURBOCHARGE THAT. KICKING PEOPLE OUT, NOT TELLING US WHERE THEY GOING TO BE. IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO TAKE A STATEHOUSE` THE PROBLEM JUST DISAPPEARS. YOU CANNOT HAVE 10,000 PEOPLE, COMPLAINTS` I HAVE GIVEN YOU SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO TELL ME WHERE THEY WILL GO. IT IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND THEM. THEY GET THEIR SHOT, THAT IS FAIR ENOUGH. YOU GET MONEY FROM THE CLIMATE FUND TO PAY FOR THEIR TAX CUTS ` HOW WILL YOU PAY FOR CLIMATE MITIGATION? THAT IS ONE OF THE ROLES, BUT THAT IS A PROBLEM IN GOVERNMENT WE WANT TO SIT DOWN WITH ALL THE POLITICAL PARTIES AND FIND A WAY THROUGH THAT. THAT IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE. WE NEED TO GET THE PARTIES TOGETHER AND WORK ON A PROPER SOLUTION. THERE ARE GOING TO BE MULTIPLE GOVERNMENTS OVER MULTIPLE DECADES THINKING ABOUT CLIMATE ADAPTATION, AND IS THE QUESTION IS AS A PRIVATE LAND OWES THEIR PAY, THE BANKS, THIS GENERATION, NEXT GENERATION. I WANT TO SEE A FRAMEWORK EMERGE THAT WE CAN GET BIPARTISANSHIP SUPPORT EMBED THAT SOLUTION FOR NEW ZEALAND AND LET'S WORK TOWARDS THAT. ISN'T THAT THE ETS? NO` WE WANT TO HAVE A NEW ZEALAND MODEL NOT A POLITICAL MODEL. NATIONAL WILL ALLOW OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION, YOU ARE PROMISING LOTS OF ROADS, YOU HAD DONE NO EMISSIONS MODELLING ON YOUR TRANSPORT PLAN YOU ARE SCRAPPING THE CLEAN CAR DISCOUNT` THAT'S TRUE? HAVE I AM MISREPRESENTED ANY OF THOSE THINGS? YOU HAVE IN A WAY. THEY MAY BE OUR INDIVIDUAL POLICIES... THIS YEAR BEGAN WITH OUR MOST COSTLY WEATHER EVENT IN HISTORY. HOW DO YOU THINK THE NATIONAL PARTY WILL BE JUDGED? I THINK WE WILL BE JUDGED WELL. WE ARE FIXATED ON MAKING SURE WE DELIVER ON NET CARBON ZERO IN 2050. WE HAVE SUPPORTED THIS GOVERNMENT WITH THE EMISSIONS BUDGETS. IN THE END GOAL, WE ARE UNITED. 2050,THE TARGET ALSO INCLUDES A SPECIFIC TARGET FOR METHANE. THE GOAL IS REALLY CLEAR, AND IF YOU ARE A CLIMATE DENIER, GIVE IT UP. BECAUSE IT IS REAL, IT IS HAPPENING. WE DIFFER ON THE WAY WE DELIVER THESE GOALS. WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROPER, FUNCTIONING ETS SCHEME IN PLACE. AND MAKE IT WORK PROPERLY. THROUGH PRICING ON POLLUTERS, THAT IS HOW WE BEND OUR MISSIONS CURVE. AND WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT DO IN SOCIETY THAT OTHER ACTORS CAN'T DO - MAKING SURE WE HAVE RESOURCE CONSENTING OF RENEWABLE PROJECTS, SPEEDED UP, IT LASTS FOR 35 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE AT THAT. IT TAKES 10 YEARS TO BUILD A WIND FARM IN NEW ZEALAND WE NEED EV CHARGING NETWORKS IN NEW ZEALAND. THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO AND CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER. HOKI MAI ` WELCOME BACK TO Q+A AND TO NATIONAL LEADER CHRISTOPHER LUXON. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT CREDIBILITY. YOU HAVE CONSTANTLY SOLD YOUR PARTY IS THE PARTY OF ECONOMIC CREDIBILITY. YOUR CENTRAL POLICY IS A $16 BILLION TAX CUT. 20,000 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PROPERTY SALES - YOU HAVETO SELL 3 1/2 PONSONBY'S YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE GDP OF FIJI, SAMOA AND TONGA AND DOUBLE THAT. WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY ALL THE NOISE EVERYTHING COMES DOWN TO THE ECONOMY. HOW WILL YOU PAY FOR THOSE, SELL $20 BILLION WITH THE PROPERTY? EXPLAIN TO ME EXACTLY HOW YOU WILL BE THIS. WE ARE GOING TO DELIVER NEW ZEALANDERS TAX RELIEF. I AM SAYING TO YOU VERY CLEARLY THAT WE ARE GOING TO DELIVER WORKING NEW ZEALANDERS TAX RELIEF. THESE ARE REALLY SIMPLE QUESTIONS AND THIS IS YOUR CENTRAL POLICY ` YOU HAVE TO SELL $20 BILLION OF PROPERTY OVER` I AM REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH OUR POLICY. WE HAVE RELEASED ALL OUR INFORMATION AND OUR MODELLING. HAVE YOU RELEASED YOUR MODELLING? I'M SORRY. NO, NO. WILL YOU COMMIT TO RELEASING YOUR SPECIFIC MODELLING THAT SHOWS HOW YOU WILL SELL $20 MILLION WITH A PROPERTY TO FOREIGNERS? YOU HAVEN'T RELEASED YOUR MODELLING. I AM VERY COMFORTABLE, WE HAVE RELEASED LEGAL ADVICE. DOES THE PUBLIC NOT DESERVE TO SEE THAT MODELLING? THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF EXPERTS AND ADVISERS THAT HAVE COME OUT INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND SAID THIS IS GREAT. IF YOU ARE SO CONFIDENT WITH YOUR NUMBERS, WILL YOU COMMIT TO RELEASING THAT SPECIFIC MODELLING? I AM EXTREMELY CONFIDENT. GREAT. WILL YOU COMMIT TO RELEASING THAT SPECIFIC MODELLING? THAT SHOWS HOW YOU WILL SELL 20 BILLION DOLLARS OF PROPERTY TO FOREIGNERS OVER THE NEXT` YOU WANT TO BE PRIME MINISTER. EVERYONE WATCHING US CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE DUCKING. WHEN YOU COMMIT TO RELEASING IT? WE HAVE RELEASED WHAT WE ARE GOING TO RELEASE. WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW IS LOWER AND MIDDLE INCOME WORKERS ARE GOING TO GET TAX RELIEF. THE PLAN IS FULLY FUNDED WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? NOTHING. GREAT, RELEASE THE MODELLING. THERE IS NO ISSUE ON THE NUMBERS. BY ALL MEANS, RELEASE THE MODELLING. YOU COULD CLEAR THIS UP IN A HEARTBEAT. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, LOOK AT THE 32 PAGE DOCUMENT ` YOU WILL NOT FIND THE MODELLING ON THAT. THE NEXT QUESTION IS LEGALITY. JOHN KEY BRIEFLY CONSIDERED STAMP DUTY WHICH IS EXTREMELY SIMILAR TO THE TAX YOU ARE PROPOSING AND HE WAS ASKED AT THE TIME WHETHER THERE WERE LEGAL PROVISIONS THAT WOULD EXCLUDE IT. IS WHAT HE SAID AT THE TIME. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT STAMP DUTY WAS, YOU KNOW, TAKEN OFF THE TABLE, IF YOU LIKE, THROUGH THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAD, NOT ONLY WITH AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN, THERE'S` IT ALSO INCLUDES MEXICO. AGAIN, STAMP DUTY VERY SIMILAR TO THE TAX YOU ARE PROPOSING. WE SIGNED THE TAX TREATY WITH CHINA AND 2019, WHICH MEANS WE COULD NOT DISCRIMINATE, BUT JOHN KEY FOUND THERE WAS ONE WAY TO TAX FOREIGN BUYERS, YOU HAVE TO APPLY TO ALL NONTAX RESIDENTS. YOU HAVE TO APPLY TO ALL NONTAX RESIDENTS. TO BE 100% CLEAR, DO YOU HAVE EXPERT LEGAL ADVICE THAT EXPLICITLY SAYS YOU CAN TAX NONRESIDENTS INCLUDING CHINESE BUYERS WHILE CREATING A CARVEOUT FOR ALL NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS? I'M NOT THEY GET INTO THIS WITH YOU. YOU ARE FOCUSING ON ONE ASPECT ` THIS IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE CREDIBILITY OF YOUR CENTRAL POLICY. YOU NEED A FOREIGN BUYER BAN TO RAISE MONEY TO FUND THE TAX CUTS. REMEMBER THERE ARE OTHER BITS TO IT. I HAVE JUST AS YOU VERY CLEARLY, DO YOU HAVE LEGAL ADVISE THAT SAYS YOU CAN TAX NONRESIDENTS WHILE CREATING A CARVEOUT FOR NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS? ANSWER THAT QUESTION. WE HAVE HAD ADVISERS THAT HAVE SAID WE CAN DO THAT. LABOUR HAVE SAID FTAS MEAN IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. IT IS. IT IS POSSIBLE TO UNDO THE BAN. WE HAVE HAD THE ADVICE, I APPRECIATE IT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU ARE HEARING. I'M NOT LISTENING TO ANYONE. JOHN KEY HAD MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING. WE CAN FIND A WAY THROUGH AND DELIVER IT WITH GREAT CERTAINTY SO EVERY WORKING NEW ZEALANDER GETS A TAX BREAK. WHAT IS IT SAY ABOUT THE CREDIBILITY OF ECONOMIC MANAGERS THAT YOU WILL NOT RELEASE TAX ADVICE THAT SAYS WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING IS ILLEGAL AND POSSIBLE? WE HAVE RELEASED LEGAL ADVICE AS WELL. THERE HAVE BEEN A RANGE OF ADVICE, PEOPLE LIKE CHARLES FINNEY, WHO SAY IT IS POSSIBLE. WE ARE GOING TO DO IT, WE ARE GOING TO GET IT DONE. SO WE JUST HAVE TO TRUST YOU? I DON'T KNOW WHAT MORE I CAN DO. YOU HAVEN'T RELEASED THE MODELLING, YOU HAVEN'T RELEASED` WE WILL FUND THIS BY REPRIORITISING GOVERNMENT SPENDING. WE ARE YOU MAKING THOSE CUTS? ACROSS THE PUBLIC SERVICE` YOU HAVEN'T WORKED IT OUT? 6 1/2% REDUCTION IN BACKROOM FUNCTIONS` ALL THE COMMS STAFF. WE WILL INCREASE THE BUDGET FOR EDUCATION AND HEALTH, WE WANT RECYCLED OUT OF BACKROOM SERVICES. WE HAVE A FULLY FUNDED TAX PLAN` IF YOU ARE A LOWER TO MIDDLE INCOME WORKER, PERHAPS CHRISTOPHER LUXON MIGHT RELEASE THAT MODELLING. IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT THE Q+A TEAM, PLEASE KORERO MAI. YOU CAN EMAIL US, YOU CAN FIND US ON TWITTER OR ON FACEBOOK. UP NEXT ` TE PATI MAORI CO-LEADER RAWIRI WAITITI ON MAORI HEALTH, BEING SUSPENDED FROM PARLIAMENT, AND HIS PARTY'S PLANS FOR TAX. TE PATI MAORI MAKE NO EXCUSES ` THEY KNOW THEIR SUPPORTERS AREN'T WATCHING PARLIAMENT TV OR PORING OVER HANSARD TRANSCRIPTS. BUT AS THEY PARTY HEADS INTO NEXT MONTH'S ELECTION, THEY'RE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT PICKING UP SEVERAL MORE SEATS, TO RETURN TO PARLIAMENT WITH A LARGER CAUCUS. BUT IS IT A PARTY FOR WHOM REPRESENTATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT EXPLICIT POLICY OUTCOMES? I SAT DOWN ON THURSDAY IN TAURANGA WITH CO-LEADER RAWIRI WAITITI. - Tena koe, Haki. Kia ora tatou. - I want to start with policy. You are proposing a radical change to taxation in New Zealand, including a wealth tax. - It would be 4% for people with a net wealth over $5 million, 8% annually for net wealth over $10 million. How do you calculate it, and how do you enforce it? - Well, look, there's huge inequities here, in terms of the wealth distribution in Aotearoa. There has to be some radical change. There has to be some transformative change in the tax system. The way we've calculated it is to ensure that they, the wealthy, are now starting to pay their fair share towards the... the upkeep of of the country. If they only pay 9.4% and the rest of the country is paying 20.4% to 30% in tax, you know, that tells us that there's a huge... there's a huge inequality in our tax system. So a fairer tax system, where they're paying their fair share based on their income. It's like how poor people pay tax based on their income. The numbers work out to ensure that we can claw back about $16 billion, which is inclusive of tax fraud, which costs in this country $7 billion a year. And so, you know, making sure that we've got the resources to be able to go and track those things, I think, is vitally important. - How you calculate the net worth every year? Who enforces it? - Well, the government enforces tax anyway, so, you know, we've got to enforce it. We wanted to put money into the SFO and into IRD also, to ensure that we can enforce it and to be able to claw back some of their tax that they're actually not contributing. - But is this a serious policy? - They want to contribute. - Is it a serious policy, though, or an aspirational policy? - Well, look, every report ` the report that came out of IRD and every other report that's come out, even the internal reports that have come out from the Finance Ministers have all said there needs to be a wealth tax, And so a wealth tax at 4%, empty house tax at 3% ` all of those have been advised by those particular reports that, you know, right from Cullen all the way through to Robertson, have all said that the country should have a wealth. - I'm just I'm interested in your policy, though, as it stands, so do trusts count? - We will go after everybody's individual wealth. - So if their wealth is kept in a trust, that doesn't count? - Well, if your wealth is kept in a trust, it will be looked at as your individual wealth. So if you if you've got wealth in a trust, that would be absolutely taxed. - So, hang on. Are trustees taxed? Or are beneficiaries taxed? - If you own those assets in that trust, you'll be taxed. - But, I mean, this is how trusts are set up, right? So is it the trustee, the beneficiary, a discretion, discretionary beneficiary? - The IRD ` the IRD and the SFO, will ensure that if you are associated to that trust, that that's the individual, you will be taxed. - It sounds like there's some detail missing here, right? - Yes. - But if I was a wealthy person` - No detail missing. - Well, please ` beneficiary discretionary, beneficiary of trustee? - The thing is, if you are owning that trust, you will be taxed on the individual ownership of that. The company tax rate, you want to lift from 28% to 33%. So if I was a wealthy New Zealander, or someone running a company, looking to invest in New Zealand, why would I choose to invest in New Zealand? - We've spoken to many of those people who own those businesses, said yes, you know, we would be taxed, but it used to be 33% ` in the John Key Government, it jumped back to 28%. The investment into the country is one thing, but not paying your fair share is another thing. And so I think taking it back to 33%, before the Key Government, there was no issue ` dropping back to 28%, you know, may have been an incentive at that particular time, but if you have a look at the distance between the rich and the poor, it's getting worse and worse. When you've got banks that are making $7 billion a year, taking that money overseas, not investing it back. That money belongs to New Zealanders, and it belongs to Aotearoa. And so you can't have Australian-owned banks taking our money and investing it overseas ` it must be used for the greater good of Aotearoa. - But that's going to happen if you introduce a wealth tax, right? If I was a wealthy New Zealander wit a net wealth more than $10 million, and you're going to tax me 8% on that net wealth every year, why wouldn't I move overseas where I don't get taxed? - Well, you move to Australia, you'll get taxed, because they've also got a wealth tax, they've got GST ` they've got all those types of things as well. - Australia doesn't have a wealth tax. - Yeah, but they've got it in other things. So taking GST off kai, right; they've got an empty house tax. - They don't have a wealth tax ` my question is the wealth tax. - Capital gains tax. Yeah, but it's all married. Because it's the wealthy that owns those things. - But if the wealthy all move overseas, then who's investing in new companie annd improving productivity? - It's the same thing. They've got it in other in other ways where they're hitting the rich. We're putting it in a wealth tax, which has been advised in the last IRD report. - I don't remember an IRD report recommending an 8% net wealth tax over $10 million. - They have recommended wealth tax. - Te Pati Maori has been a big supporter of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Maori Health Authority. - We were the only ones that campaigned on it. - And you use it as an example for the sort of by Maori, for Maori approach you want to see in public services. Now, it is early days, obviously, but a report by the Hauora Maori Advisory Committee was pretty scathing` - Which was silly. - In its progress so far. It found the commission had underspent by tens of millions of dollars, had failed to recruit staff from DHB and was doing an overall poor job of commissioning services. So why should that model be replicated? - After nine months, you're going to do a report on Te Aka Whai Ora. I tell you ` that was the stupidest thing that ever happened. They should throw that report straight out into the bin. - Here's the thing, though. - There is no way. How many times has the Ministry of Health failed? Maori are still dying seven to 10 years earlier than non-Maori. We are still` higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer. And so the system has been failing us for 183 years, and they expect the Maori Health Authority to make a big difference, to clean up 183 years of damn mess, that this government and the system has created amongst our people. That was a shocking decision. Whoever's decision it was needs to look at themselves very hard in the mirror. - The thing is, though, there's a political dimension to this, right, in that the National Party, from the word go, has opposed Te Aka Whai Ora, the Maori Health Authority. So in running that authority, they had a very limited window to prove their worth, to prove their efficacy before facin some of those political pressures of an election cycle. And now we have a possibility of a new National Government, that's going to come in and say, 'Look, they're doing a terrible job. 'They might only be nine months in, but we're going to scrap it.' - Yeah, and that's the problem. That's the problem with those types of parties, National and Act, who want to see Maori die seven to 10 years early, who want to see incarceration. Oh, no, absolutely. - I think we have to contest that. - Well, you can contest that, but you tell me where the data changes. Follow science. - If you can point to any statement from any MP who says they want Maori to die earlier. - It's in their actions. And so not wanting to change the current system, that has failed Maori for 183 years, it's continuously doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. That's what the National Party wants to do; that's what the ACT Party want to do. And that, in their actions, is actually saying we want to keep Maori where they are. Get our country back on on track ` on what track? On the same track that it was when they were government six years ago? - You have a policy when it comes to tamariki Maori, and I wanted to ask you about tamariki Maori who are in care at the moment. Is there any form of state care that you think is appropriate? - Never. States should never, ever been caring for anybody. Nobody. And actually, in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, if you look at Article 1, right? Article 1 ` gave kawanatanga, gave governance, to Pakeha, to be able to look after themselves. Not once, in any of the three articles, did it say Maori will be in state care ` not once. And so if you look at Article 1, that's about kawanatanga. What we want to do is have a mokopuna entity, that we're able to look after our own tamariki mokopuna, where we're able to look after our own health outcomes, where we're able to look after our own educational aspirations, because that was the right that we're given. We are a tiriti-based, rights-based party movement. And so Article 1, kawanatanga, look after yourselves; Article 2, mana motuhake ` we look after ourselves, but we must be treated as equals in this country, which the last two articles have not been honoured. And so the State should never, ever ` there is not once where in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, where it says we give you rights to now look after us in state care; there's nothing in the treaty that says that. And so there's an issue, there's an issue ` huge breach. And so Article 1 ` kawanatanga, look after yourselves. Article 2 ` we look after ourselves. Article 3, we all get treated equally. - One other policy I want to ask about. Earlier this year, you announced New Zealand should be militarily neutral, the Switzerland of the South Pacific So what happens if one of our Pacific neighbours requires military assistance in defending its exclusive economic zones? - We've never been exclusive of the Pacific, so in that policy it makes quite clear that we are... that we should be looking after the Pacific as a one. We're all tangata moana ` we're all related. - So does that mean militarily, though? - That means whatever we need to do to look after ourselves as the Pacific, because we're all related. - So my question is that, for example, if Samoa had some sort of intrusion in its exclusive economic zone... - Yeah. - ...and sought New Zealand's assistance to defend it militarily, is that something you would be prepared to support? - Absolutely. - So it's not really neutral, is it? - Well, not if you don't see the whakapapa. - But it's not. I mean, if the comparison is with Switzerland, though. - Yeah, but you see countries. - Right. - We see whakapapa. And that's the that's the intrinsic difference between the way iwi Maori thinks. - I'm using your example of Switzerland. But to be 100% clear on this policy, you would support militarily defending other tangata moana countries in the Pacific? - We would. Yes. Absolutely. We are obligated to, because of our whakapapa. But the problem is, is that if you look at World War II, per capita, Maori lost more than anybody else in that war. And not only that ` we came home, we lost more. We came back after the big ships had come back. We lost out on the land ballots. The big farms that people, that the mokopuna are now continuing to benefit off. Our people didn't get that ` they weren't even allowed in the pubs when they got back. So they didn't get the benefits they were promised. And so why would we want to go over and fight wars for other people, when we lost more life than anybody else, come back to a country that still didn't give us the honour of being true citizens in this country. - Your party is constantly advocatin for more money for Whanau Ora, but the commissioning agency chair is one of your candidates; the commissioning agency CEO is your party president ` how is that not a gross conflict of interest? - There's ahuge conflicts of interest everywhere if you were to look at that - So you accept that that's a conflict of interest? - No, I don't, but I'm using your words ` so you're saying it's a conflict. - No, I'm asking how is it not? - Well, I'll explain to you. If you look at the affiliated members of Labour, who are they? Are they conflicted? - I don't understand the comparison. - They're affiliated members of the Labour Party. - Yeah, but what's Whanau Ora? It receives tens of millions of dollars of funding. - What I'm saying is, has that question been asked of everybody? And then you look at business ` how many businesses, right, get government contracts? Government contracts; they get they get levies, they get tax breaks ` they get all of these things from from the government, and they pay into National and Act. I'm just saying, why is it hypocrisy, you know, when it comes to Maori businesses? - Because you have a candidate who's the chair. And your party president is the CEO of the commissioning agency. - You're had candidates from Fonterra, from all of these types of organisations standing for National; you've had others, you've had union, um, leaders standing for Labour. And here's the problem ` when the Maoris do it, you're naughty and you're a conflict of interest. - You were suspended from Parliament after appearing to breach name suppression for a case currently before the courts. What on earth were you doing? - What on earth were they doing, suspending me? - What were you doing? - What was I doing? I asked a simple question in the house. But I'm not going to go into that. - No, I know you're not prepared to repeat it outside of the house, but why did you do that? - Because Te Pati Maori, actually, is probably the the fairest and truest party that stands for equal law and order. - So do you not believe in judicial authority and independence? - I believe that there should be law and order for all that's equal. Unfortunately, Maori are 50% of the prison population ` are male. The male prison population in Aotearoa, 50% are Maori; 64% of the female prison population of Maori. That's not fair. And so when I hear other parties talking about, um, a fairer justice system, hard on crime, you know, law and order, and we have a justice system that has one rule for one lot and one rule for others. - So you think, as a politician, you should be able to make unilateral decisions about issues of justice? - Politics. Governments make unilateral decisions all the time. - As a politician, should you just be able to overrule the courts? - As a politician, you challenge the... it's a challenge of ideas, right? And you must push back against those who profess to be, um, the authority or the spokesperson on law and order. - But it's about judicial independence, though, isn't it? - Well, there's judicial independence; the thing is, judicial independence should not make their judgements based on political outcomes. - Well, the Treaty of Waitangi has a mixed legal status at the moment, but if you were to argue that politicians should be able to ride roughshod over judicial authority when they choose ` what is to stop other politicians from completely ignoring legal decisions that establish a legal status for Te Tiriti? - Te Tiriti should never, ever be in a legal space. - Should never be? - Never. Once you put it in there, it becomes kawanatanga. - Did you regret that? - What? - What you said in Parliament. - I don't regret anything I say in Parliament. The thing is that it was said ` I have been reprimanded for it; I've been suspended for it. And, you know,... I can't take it back. It's done. - Do you think it was the right thing to do? - I will always stand up for... equal rights and opportunities for te iwi Maori, and especially in a justice system that continues ` a racist justice system that continues to incarcerate my people. - Do you think divisions between Maori and non-Maori are any worse in this election campaign and political environment than in the past? - I think it's more heightened. And it's heightened because of the social theory being used by some of the other political parties on the right. You know, when you use words like 'apartheid', that was a white supremacist tool used in Africa against black Africans; separatism and segregation ` those are white supremacist tools used in America against African Americans; subhuman ` when you use words like subhuman, that's a word that the, um, Nazis used to use to explain the Jews; to identify the Jew. So when you're using that type of social theory in the communities, of course it's going to create moral panic and fear. And especially in older Pakeha people, who deserve the integrity to retire in peace, to have the quiet life that they have hard worked for, but to then have the social theory create moral panic and fear ` there's an issue, and this is what's happening. This is what's happening. Because we fight to be the best tangata whenua we can, that Aotearoa deserves, doesn't mean that we're anti anybody else ` absolutely not. When they're wanting to blow up things in the Pacific, you know, Ministry for Pacific Peoples, all those types of things ` you've never heard that from us once. - I have heard this, 'It is a known fact that the Maori genetic makeup is stronger than others.' - Well, it's stronger in me. And I've got a whole lot of genetics in me. - That was on your website. Is that racist? - Why? How can it be racist, when you're trying to empower a people that are climbing out from the bottom of the bonnet of colonial violence for the last 183 years ` how is that racist? - I should note that statement has been removed. 'It is a known fact that the Maori genetic makeup is stronger than others.' It was on your sport policy on your website. When you think about the language you've just criticised and you compare that with the language on your own website, can you acknowledge that perhaps your language has contributed to these tensions? - How was that imposed on anybody else? We're talking to ourselves. - You're talking to everyone, when you publish it on a website, Rawiri. - Te Pati Maori directly talks to our people. And so we're trying to rebuild our people right from, like I said, years and years of colonial violence on our people. And so why can't we call ourselves magic? Why can't we call ourselves proud? Why can't we believe in ourselves? And why can't we say to our people that your genetics means something, that you can be proud of it? - Do you stand by that comment? - A lot of sportspeople do. - What about you, though? - A lot of sportspeople have come out and said, 'My Maori whakapapa has made me a better athlete.' You don't have to look too far to know who those who those sports people are. - What happens if you lose? - Then you lose. But you never lose. - In this election. I mean, you have had an impactful three years, but there is a strong likelihood that a National-led government, maybe a National-Act government, could be in power after October 14th. What will that mean for Te Pati Maori? - Nothing. What that means for Te Pati Maori is that we continue to do the mahi that we're here to do. I don't care about what's happening with the National, Act or Labour or the Greens. At the end of the day, both those governments have harmed our people, and Te Pati Maori are not here to ensure that one gets in or that one gets in ` we will continue to ensure that the voice of te iwi Maori is heard unapologetically in that house, regardless of who's the government. We've moved on from the reliance on parties that have continued to harm our people ` we don't subscribe to that; we don't subscribe to that any more. And so we'd never lose ` we will continue the fight. Much of the fight for te iwi Maori is being done outside of Parliament, before the establishment of Te Pati Maori 16 years ago ` land marches, petitions. We have been political for a very, very long time, and that won't change. - The reason I ask is John Tamihere, your party president, had an interesting comment he made this week, 'If you're going to treat us as just some new breed that just arrived here and wipe out our rights, 'there will be trouble in this country.' So considering the possibility of a government with a support party that would be committed to rolling back some of the policies you have supported, I'm wondering what difference the next three years will have - will mean for Te Pati Maori. - Oh, Te Pati Maori will continue to push our kaupapa, and the trouble is not we're going to inflict trouble ` the trouble that he's talking about is there will be trouble would be Maori taking 20 to 10 to 30 years back, a back step from where we've come to from to now. And so if there are huge policy changes, if they're going to take away the rights to Maori wards, the rights to have a Maori authority which is very similar to kohanga reo, that hasn't hurt anybody; it's actually had better achievement outcomes than mainstream schools for Maori, although 80% of our people are still in mainstream schools. The kids that are in the 20% that are in Kura Kaupapa are achieving better results, and that's what that system can do. We want a health system where our people are getting better results. If you gave us the same amount of time and the same amount of resource that the current system has had to fail our people, I tell you, you'd have a different ` you would have the tangata whenua Aotearoa deserves. THAT'S RAWIRI WAITITI. AFTER THAT INTERVIEW, WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GIVE A RIGHT OF REPLY TO RAWIRI'S COMMENTS REGARDING THE NATIONAL AND ACT PARTIES AND MAORI LIFE EXPECTANCY. HERE'S WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. AND ACT LEADER DAVID SEYMOUR SAID: AFTER THE BREAK ` TE TAI HAUAURU, IKAROA RAWHITI AND TAMAKI MAKAURAU ` WE'RE ON THE GROUND FOR ONE OF THE SEATS TE PATI MAORI IS HOPING TO SNAG IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTION. EVEN THOUGH LABOUR WON A HUGE VICTORY IN THE 2020 ELECTION, THERE WERE A FEW SEATS WHERE THEIR ELECTORATE MAJORITIES WERE DIMINISHED. ONE OF THEM WAS TAMAKI MAKAURAU, WHERE MINISTER PEENI HENARE'S LEAD OVER TE PATI MAORI'S CANDIDATE, JOHN TAMIHERE, WAS CUT TO JUST UNDER 1000 VOTES. WITH A NEW CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR TE PATI MAORI IN 2023, CAN THE INCUMBENT HOLD ON? WHENA OWEN REPORTS. (SISTER SLEDGE'S 'HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER') KIA ORA, MINISTER. KIA ORA. (CHUCKLES) ARE YOU STILL MINISTER, THOUGH? UH... TECHNICALLY, I AM. BUT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT HIS OTHER JOB ` MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR TAMAKI MAKAURAU. KAPA: # NGATI WAI KI UTA, # NGATI WAI KI TAI. PEENI HENARE TOOK THE SEAT IN 2014 FROM THE MAORI PARTY'S PITA SHARPLES. LAST ELECTION, TE PATI MAORI'S JOHN TAMIHERE NARROWED THE MARGIN, SO TAMAKI MAKAURAU'S CURRENT MP IS NOW IN DEFENCE MODE. # YOU CAN'T TOUCH THIS. # OH-OH, OH, OH. # YEAH, THAT'S HOW WE LIVIN', AND YOU KNOW # YOU CAN'T TOUCH THIS. OF THE SEVEN MAORI SEATS, TAMAKI MAKAURAU HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ` 39,000 ACROSS THE ELECTORATE. THE ELECTORATE NOW INCLUDES WAIHEKE ISLAND. ON THE MAINLAND, SOUTH OF THE HARBOUR BRIDGE, IT STRETCHES OUT WEST, EAST TO PAKURANGA, AND SOUTH TO TAKANINI. ('HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER' CONTINUES) OUT SOUTH IS WHERE TE PATI MAORI'S CANDIDATE IS BASED ` TAKUTAI TARSH KEMP, THE CEO OF MANUREWA MARAE. AND WE'RE IN THE MARAE CAR PARK, CHECKING OUT TE PATI MAORI'S POLITICAL MARKETING. I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS. I'VE SEEN THIS ` TE PATI MAORI HAVE USED THE QR CODE. WHAT DO YOU DO? SO YOU PULL OUT YOUR PHONE, GO TO YOUR CAMERA AND SCAN AWAY. YOU CAN CLICK ON THE LINK. WHAT I FIND WITH PAMPHLETS IS PEOPLE ACTUALLY JUST... THROW THEM IN THE RUBBISH. (PATRICE RUSHEN'S 'FORGET ME NOTS') NATIONAL'S TAMAKI MAKAURAU CANDIDATE, HINUREWA TE HAU, IS IN PANMURE THIS MORNING POSTING PAMPHLETS BECAUSE MOST RESIDENTS ARE AT WORK. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS, NATIONAL IS RUNNING A CANDIDATE IN MAORI SEATS HERE AND IN TE HAUAURU. HINUREWA IS 38 ON THE NATIONAL LIST. SHE'S CONTESTED A GENERAL SEAT FOR NATIONAL IN THE '90S, AND ALSO STOOD FOR THE MAORI PARTY WHEN IT HAD AN ACCORD WITH NATIONAL. DO YOU PERCEIVE IT AS QUITE A DIFFERENT PARTY? YES, I DO. YEAH. FOR ME, THEY'VE GONE TO` FAR TO THE LEFT. DOESN'T MEAN I DISRESPECT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. FAR FROM IT. WHEN, YOU KNOW` THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY DO. NATIONAL, SHE SAYS, WANTS TO GIVE CENTRE-RIGHT VOTERS IN THIS SEAT A CHOICE. DAME TARIANA HAS ALWAYS STOOD FOR` IT WAS ALWAYS SAID TO US, YOU KNOW, THE SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM DOESN'T FIT OUR PEOPLE AND I COMPLETELY CONCUR WITH THAT. YOU KNOW? THIS IS ABOUT SELF-RELIANCE, SELF-DETERMINATION, AUTONOMY ` NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF CULTURE, BUT JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO STAND ON OUR OWN MANA. WE'RE HEADED TO WAIHEKE ISLAND, WHERE THE GREENS CANDIDATE IS BASED. GREENS CO-LEADER MARAMA DAVIDSON HAD REPRESENTED GREENS IN THIS SEAT FOR A WHILE, BUT STEPPED ASIDE TO FOCUS ON OTHER WORK. ('FORGET ME NOTS' CONTINUES) DARLEEN? IN A TUNNEL HOUSE AT THE BACK OF THE MARAE, DARLEEN TANA IS GETTING SEEDLINGS STARTED. OUR MANUHIRI WHO COME IN... SO WE'LL HAVE A MIX OF THINGS. WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF BROCCOLI, CABBAGES, CAULIFLOWER. BUT WE'RE NOT HERE TO TALK VEGES ` DARLEEN TANNA IS A MUM, BUSINESSWOMAN WITH A SCIENCE DEGREE, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST, AND IS MULTILINGUAL, HAVING LIVED IN EUROPE FOR 20 YEARS. I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED OUT BEYOND THE HORIZON TO SEE WHAT WAS COMING, AND SO, LIVING OVERSEAS AND SEEING HOW THINGS WERE GOING DOWN ` YOU KNOW, SOCIALLY, ENVIRONMENTALLY. Q&A VISITED HANNAH TAMAKI FROM VISION NZ LAST YEAR. LAST ELECTION, SHE CONTESTED WAIARIKI ` THIS TIME, SHE'S STANDING IN TAMAKI MAKAURAU. IF ANYBODY'S IN TAMAKI MAKAURAU, AND THEY'RE PART MAORI? OH YEAH. (CHILDREN SING 'E TE IWI E') WE'RE HERE UP AT KITEMOANA STREET, WITH OUR WHANAU FROM NGATI WHATUA KI ORAKEI. THIS WHARE HERE, WHO ARE STILL THE FAMILY LIVED THERE` OR THE FAMILY THAT WE LIVED WITH WHEN I WAS A CHILD, AND SO WE LIVED HERE FOR QUITE A WHILE BEFORE WE FOUND OUR OWN HOME, WHICH WAS ONLY JUST UP THE ROAD. BUT THAT MEANT THAT I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST KOHANGA CHILDREN TO GO TO KOHANGA HERE. THE INCUMBENT MP IS KEEN TO SHOW US NEW WHARE ` KAINGA ORA BUILDS PROGRESSED BY THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT. AND I'M PROUD THAT WHEN I LOOK ACROSS TAMAKI MAKAURAU, THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF NEW BUILDS FOR WHANAU HERE IN TAMAKI, BUT OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT LOTS MORE WORK TO DO. THIS IS OUR DRIVE-THROUGH FOODBANK ` WE NEVER ENVISAGED TO BE A FULLY-FLEDGED FOODBANK HERE IN MANUREWA. TE PATI MAORI CANDIDATE TAKUTAI KEMP IS HOPING HER GRASSROOTS CONNECTIONS INTO THE SOUTH AUCKLAND COMMUNITY WILL CONVERT TO VOTES. ONCE AGAIN, THIS CONTEST IS PREDICTED TO COME DOWN TO LABOUR AND TE PATI MAORI. OUR PEOPLE WANT CHANGE. THEY WANT TO SEE SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THEM, MANAAKI THEM, CARE FOR THEM, JUST LIKE WE HAVE HERE ON OUR MARAE. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS TE PATI MAORI. DON'T YOU THINK THEY SEE THAT IN LABOUR? I DON'T THINK THEY SEE THAT IN LABOUR ANY MORE. AND YOU'LL SEE A HEALTH-CONSCIOUS` I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT PLATTER. YEAH. (LAUGHS) BEAUTIFUL. WE'VE ENDED UP AT MAHUREHURE MARAE IN POINT CHEV. PEENI HENARE HAS A MEETING HERE LATER AS MINISTER, BUT HE'S STILL IN CAMPAIGN MODE. MY CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR IS ABOUT PROTECTING WHAT WE'VE BUILT. I HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY HANDS-ON IN BUILDING A MAORI HEALTH AUTHORITY AND BUILDING A MAORI HOUSING POLICY. I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE AS MY TIME AS A MINISTER, AND THOSE ARE GONE IF LABOUR'S VOTED OUT. ARE YOU WORRIED, THOUGH, ABOUT THAT SLIPPAGE ` THE MARGIN? YOU'RE DOWN TO ABOUT` OH, 2020, ABOUT 927 BETWEEN YOU AND TE PATI MAORI. EVERY RACE IS DIFFERENT. LAST TIME WE RAN AGAINST JOHN TAMIHERE, ONE OF THE TITANS OF MAORIDOM, AND WE CAME OUT ON TOP, OF WHICH I'M THANKFUL THAT TAMAKI MAKAURAU SAW ME AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE AND PUT THEIR TRUST AND VOTE IN ME. I LOVE THIS CITY. IT'S MY HOME. # AUE, TE AROHA. # AUE, TE AROHA # TE MAMAE I AHAU E. # RU ANA TE WHENUA, WHATIWHATI. HI! # THAT'S GOING TO BE STUCK IN MY HEAD ALL DAY. HEI AKUANEI ` WE'RE BACK AFTER THE BREAK. KUA MUTU ` THAT'S Q+A FOR THIS WEEK. BUT FROM THE Q+A TEAM, THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND NGA MIHI KI A KOUTOU I NGA KARERE. THANKS FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. CAPTIONS BY LENA ERAKOVICH AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023.