Maori seats a threat to minor party leaders' aspirations

Both Rodney Hide and Peter Dunne have criticised the Maori seats as being undemocratic and a distortion of MMP because the party vote for the Maori Party is likely to be less than the candidate vote, thus causing an overhang. Peter Dunne may well be an overhang MP too, going on current polling.

It's ironic that although Dunne and Hide seek a National government, the more seats the Maori Party wins, the less likely it is that they`ll be Ministers in that government. But if Labour secures a few of the Maori seats, National may not be in Government at all, which is why Helen Clark is discouraging the Maori electorate from a "two ticks Maori Party" stance that about one in four of the electorate subscribe to.

Dunne and Hide should be encouraging the Maori electorate - well, all Maori actually - to support the Maori Party to reduce the despised overhang and to take votes off Labour. Its not as if they're going to vote United Future and Act in great numbers.