The leaders of National and Labour have set out their positions on some of the major issues affecting Māori voters, beginning with whether the Kīngitanga should have a formal place in New Zealand’s political and constitutional system.
This week, a Whakaata Māori-Curia poll found 64 per cent of Hauraki-Waikato voters support formally embedding the Kīngitanga into New Zealand’s political and constitutional system.
However, both National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins rejected the proposal when Te Ao Māori News asked on Wednesday.
“No, I don’t support any constitutional change on that,” Luxon said.
Hipkins said Labour had not yet looked at it, nor would they pursue it.
“I am aware that Kingi has strong and staunch support for the Kīngitanga, but Labour’s position is clear,” Hipkins said. “That it is a constitutional debate to have, and it is not one we are proposing to have.”
During the TVNZ debate on Tuesday night, the leaders were also challenged on education, Māori health, co-governance and te reo Māori.
Questioned about one in four Māori leaving school without qualifications under Labour, Hipkins attributed the decline partly to changes intended to strengthen the qualifications system.
On Māori health, Luxon argued that need should determine access to targeted initiatives. Hipkins pointed to continuing inequities.
“When you’ve got Māori life expectancy seven years lower, and Māori are twice as likely to die of cancer, yes, race is a factor,” Hipkins said.
Asked about dedicated medical-school entry pathways for Māori and Pasifika students, Luxon instead highlighted National’s planned third medical school. Hipkins said the pathways did not lower standards and helped ensure the health workforce reflected the population it served.
Hipkins described co-governance as a divisive term but said public services must cater properly for Māori. The discussion developed into an argument over Three Waters, with Hipkins blaming National for rising water costs and Luxon criticising Labour’s spending on the abandoned reforms.
On political rhetoric, Luxon said he had called out recent racist remarks by Winston Peters. Hipkins accused him of failing to defend migrant communities following comments from Peters and Shane Jones.
Despite their clashes, both leaders gave the same answer when asked which skill they most wanted to learn: te reo Māori.
