Tuku Morgan new Maori Party President

The Herald reports:

Tukoroirangi Morgan says he will be on a corporate fundraising campaign as new Maori Party president to finance a strong election campaign next year.

In a bid to win all seven seats, he wants current voters to desert Labour.

He wants the Maori Party to have greater engagement with younger voters, to improve communications and to have a higher profile in general seats.

“That means we will go across the country, reigniting the flames of desire, the hearts and minds of our people, to come back home, to desert the Labour Party in readiness for us taking back all the seats,” he said – although the party has never held all Maori seats.

“If we want to become a force in this country, a real genuine political force, we’ve got to have universal appeal amongst the young, amongst the disenfranchised, amongst our women.”

The party has already attracted former rugby league star Howie Tamati who will seek the nomination for Te Tai Hauauru, currently held by Labour’s Adrian Rurawhe.

Morgan said corporate sponsorship would be hugely important.

He said he would use the connections he had built over the years.

Morgan is the representative of King Tuheitia on the executive body of Waikato-Tainui, Te Arataura, and is a director on the tribe’s commercial arm, Tainui Group Holdings.

This is what is interesting. The Maori King and Tainui are normally seen as supportive of Labour. Possibly because of the demotion of Nanaia Mahuta (a cousin of the King), they are less supportive now.