When Maori hold the balance of power

Act leader Rodney Hide believes it will be damaging to MMP and our political system if the Maori Party holds the balance of power after the election. He says it is damaging because he does not like indigenous seats - especially if they are linked to a party that may win all of them as electorate MPs. Besides,he doesn't like the fact that non- Maori can't vote for candidates in the Maori seats.

People will think hang on, how come these people in these (seven) Maori seats where I cannot vote are getting to decide whether it is going to be Helen Clark or John Key who is going to be Prime Minister.

That does not seem on the face of it fair.

But Hide would also think it is unfair if the Maori Party got the seven seats as list seats even though anyone can list vote the Maori Party. Hide's beef is with the ethnicity of the seats - more specifically, the success of Maori electorate MPs from a party that has no general electorate MPs.Yet he dresses criticism up based on our electoral system and voting access, when it is closer to being racist. But if United Future was to get 2 percent of the vote but elect six electorate MPs - all Christians - and hold the balance of power, would Hide say that "these people for whom I can't vote" are deciding who the Prime Minister is - and play the Christophobic card - or is it just that white Christians have the wrong colour skin for the kind of criticism Hide is dishing out?

It would be a cop out for Hide to state that anyone can choose to list vote United Future - likewise, anyone can choose to list vote the Maori Party.