This election is about trust – and the Maori Party doesn’t trust Helen Clark

Finally, the Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples has come out and said pretty much that this election is about trust, and Helen Clark is the last cab off the trust rank, assuming Peters won't be anywhere near the rank after the election.

Pita Sharples said he was no longer sure if he trusted Prime Minister Helen Clark, and said she was nearing the end of her time.

"She has been a great leader; she has done great things for the country," Dr Sharples said in an interview recorded yesterday for TVNZ 7. "But maybe she is nearing the end of her time."

Recent events in Parliament showed Miss Clark was clinging to power, he said.

"She is appearing quite desperate ... she is behaving like someone who is really, really desperate to get back into Parliament at any cost."

Maori will side with National – as I’ve been saying for the past..oh… 18 months, and it won’t be at the expense of the Maori seats. The Foreshore and Seabed legislation is not on the top of the priorities ,and the Maori seats won't be debated.

What is more important to Maori Party is Maori development and that’s where the Maori Party would like to see some gains. That’s why Maori do not want to go into coalition government but will seek - and get - a cabinet post.

(Note to Michael Cullen: keep up those treaty settlements, but just be aware it won't necessarily get you kudos from Maori. Maori want money, not just in principle agreements and you've left it all too late. As for passing treaty legislation under urgency, why didn't you do it earlier - not three years after the deed of settlement? You have diddled Maori out of a lot of lost interest and have consciously delayed Maori economic development for political gain.)