By Mata with Mihingarangi Forbes
Labour has ruled out any "sweetheart" or Espom-style deals with Te Pāti Māori ahead of the next election.
The opposition parties are polling ahead of the government coalition, but the potential allies will still battle it out in the seven Māori seats
Willie Jackson, who chairs Labour's Māori election campaign, says they're "absolutely" committed to giving voters options, and that his party has history and whakapapa in the Māori electorates.
"You recall when Winston took all the seats in '96, they all came back to Labour in '99."
He told Mata with Mihingarangi that he expects to win a few Māori seats - "Cushla Tangaere is doing fabulously well down the Coast" and "we've had huge interest" in standing in other six seats.
But he admits, one contest is posing a problem: who should take on Te Pāti Māori's Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke?
Maipi-Clarke, who was elected in Hauraki-Waikato 2023, at just 21-years of age, gained international attention after a video of her leading a haka in Parliament and tearing up a copy of the Treaty Principles Bill made headlines around the world.
And, according to Willie, she's "flying".
"Every seat apart from Tainui I've got big interest, and I'm really pleased about that."
He even raised the issue with the Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po at Te Matatini in Taranaki, asking if she had anyone who could stand against her in the Hauraki-Waikato electorate. "I need someone to go against our Hana" he told her at lunch.
According to Willie Jackson the reply was succinct: "Good luck".
