Will the Mana "party" get increased taxpayer funding?

It is quite clear that Hone Harawira has every intention of breaking his agreement with the Maori Party not to stand any candidates in Maori seats. Furthermore he wants to get as much money as possible to contest the general election.

That’s why he announced yesterday that he is having a by-election, after lying about it by denying it earlier that day, at a cost to the taxpayer of $500,000. It’s got nothing to do with getting a mandate. It’s to do with getting the $100,000+ leaders budget and other perks in parliament to set up his new party. Whether he succeeds is another matter. I think he is somewhat misguided.

If I was Act leader Don Brash, I'd contest the by-election for the publicity.

Having missed out on the deadline on election broadcasting funding, Harawira is trying to scrape together 500 people to quickly register his party so he can have “Mana” (instead of independent) on the ballot paper and have more money for the general election. An unregistered parliamentary party will not be able to get a leaders budget if it is not recognised as a parliamentary “party”. There is some information about that, here. All registered parties are recognised as parliamentary parties if they have an MP in the House - and the MP was elected on that party banner.

Election candidate Annette Sykes has been asking for 1000 people to support the party by today, so that it can quickly register – even though only 500 are needed. She is also calling on people to enrol on the Maori electoral roll. Once enrolled on the Maori roll, these voters can only vote for candidates on the Maori seats – the seats that Harawira earlier agreed he will not contest. She is talking up the numbers at the weekend’s hui that launched the Mana party, claiming that “more like 700 to 1000” people were there. The media reported 300.

So why are people like Sue Bradford and Matt McCarten behind the Mana Party, when they don’t particularly like Maori nationalism? I believe it is because they see this party as the only party that will threaten John Key’s leadership for the benefit of the Left as Labour is no threat, even with union backing. With the assistance of the unions, they consider this support can increase the party vote beyond five per cent after the election – and perhaps take a few MPs away from the National-supporting Maori Party.

Anyway back to the leader’s budget. If Harawira resigns on Monday he won’t be getting paid as an MP from the day he resigns until the day he is elected - which could be as late as July. And he`ll lose all his parliamentary responsibilities. I’m wondering if there will be much difference between the money Harawira loses between resignation and election in unpaid salary and perks compared to the money he gains as a parliamentary party leader between the by-election and the General election - and to what extent he and his party are aware of this.

Graeme Edgeler has an pretty good post on the numbers, detailing the perks, what Harawira loses when he resigns, as well as providing more information on how the various instruments outline the status of political parties.

Surprise! Cannon’s Creek gives Fa’afoi the Mana by-election

The Porirua East flunkies have done it again - voted a candidate in an election purely because that candidate is standing on the Labour banner. Results so far are here, 2008 results here.The Greens candidate, Jan Logie got nearly twice as many votes as Matt McCarten, and had the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis candidate got 26 more votes, he would have got more than Act’s Colin du Plessis' current tally.

In fact, the Cannon’s Creek vote was so strongly Labour that Hekia Parata would have easily been ahead on election night had those votes been disregarded. More than 12 times as many people voted for Fa’afoi than Parata in Cannon’s Creek – I wonder how many of them are beneficiaries and would have voted Hekia Parata if she was Labour.

I recon if I was the Labour candidate I would have been assured of a seat in Parliament, after awaiting the result of special votes. There are 1352 special votes to be counted.

The fact of the matter is that Kris Fa’afoi was not the best candidate in the campaign. Many of the 2008 Labour voters who actually thought about their voting choice decided to vote for a candidate other than Fa’afoi. Fa’afoi won with 46.4 per cent of the total vote while National’s Hekia Parata won with 41.6 per cent, after getting 35 percent in 2008. Or to put it another way, Labour’s 6000 majority in 2008 was slashed down to an election night majority of 1080. And we know what 1080 is.

If Fa’afoi wins the election after the specials, perhaps he could shift his electorate office to Cannons Creek. Because, overall, the rest of the electorate wanted Hekia Parata as their MP.

If the Creekers were to wake up and get with the rest of the marginal electorate in 2011, Hekia Parata will be the next MP for Mana. Mana is no longer the ninth safest seat in the country - its not a safe seat for Labour at all.And it's not often that a candidate associated with the Government makes one of the safest seats in the country marginal - by elections usually swing against the government.

Pacific Island leader called a "dumb ass coconut" by former Porirua deputy Mayor

TV3 has reported that Porirua's former Deputy Mayor has called Liz Tanielu a "dumb ass coconut" becuase she happens to be a pacific Island leader who supports Hekia Parata in the Mana By-election. Tanielu heads the Teaaomanino Trust,the biggest Pacific Island service provider in Mana. Ah Hoi has hated Hekai Parata for a long time, and now her vitrol is coming out in the wash as she spends her time campaigning for Kris Fa'afoi.

Tanielu said some positive things about Hekia Parata in the media lately. Ah Hoi didn't like it so she made the offending comments on the Porirua Proud Facebook page.

When the media inquired about the comments, Ah Hoi was forced to apologise. Sort of

I, Litea Ah Hoi, on behalf of Porirua Proud apologise for the term ‘dumb-ass coconut’ being used. And if people are offended by it, can I suggest you put it in a bubble and blow it away.

It's not the first( or second) time Ah Hoi has been in the media for her intemperate language. She's the Porirua City Council equivalent of Hone Harawira.

Anyone know why the website for Porirua Proud is temporarily suspended? Is it because AH Hoi doent want you to see this

Hey people...Is Henry a PI or is he a kumara? What a jerk!!! Go Kris Fa'afoi!!!

This was written by Ah Hoi about a youth mentor from Partners Porirua, a not-for-profit organisation set up to promote and facilitate closer working relationships between the business and education sectors - and supported by Ah Hoi's Council.

update There's the full interview of Litea Ah Hoi wihich makes referene to the Kumara quote also.

More on Mana

It’s becoming clear to many Labour supporters that Kris Fa’afoi is not the best candidate on the left for Mana in the coming by-election. Jan Logie has a better connection to the electorate and Matt McCarten sounds a lot more principled.

I think Labour could have put up a better candidate, and if Fa’afoi does win the by-election, many in the Mana electorate will be asking why they are being represented by someone who is not from the electorate, who has criticised others such as Matt McCarten for not being from the electorate, when Hekia Parata is currently working in the electorate.

Liz Tanielu heads the Teaaomanino Trust. It is the biggest Pacific Island service provider in Mana, and Tanielu has voted Labour. But Tanielu supports Parata. Tanielu took part in a debate at a fundraising auction earlier this year, organised primarily by Parata's Mana office, and raised more than $30,000 for Mana youth. So Tanielu is no bystander, she is involved in the community and has seen what Parata can do as an MP. She has also seen what Laban did as an MP and doesn't appear to think that Fa'afoi measures up.

In a by election, you should be voting for the person you want to represent you. You should not be voting for an MP based on the party he or she belongs to, not whether that person represents the left or the right of politics. That’s what Liz Tanielu is advocating for. However it appears that those who vote Fa’afoi wil be voting him because he is Labour, those who vote for Parata will be voting for her because she is Hekia Parata. Those who vote for Matt McCarten will be voting him because he is Matt McCarten. Therefore this race should be between McCarten and Parata, it’s just a pity that Logie appears squeezed out by the bigger names. And it is also a shame that Fa’afoi is even standing, because he is the wrong candidate for Mana.

If Labour wins this by-election, Logie will still be living in Mana, McCarten will return to the place from whence he came, and many will consider Parata the de facto electorate MP even though she will still be a list MP.

Mana Samoan community supports Hekia Parata

It's not only the expected support of Hekia Parata from Porirua Deputy Mayor Liz Kelly that is making news, many of the Pacific community now support Parata to win the Mana by-election. I think Mayor Nick Legett would also be pretty happy if Parata won.

Labour's Kris Fa'afoi has been favoured to take the seat, not because he is Kris Fa'afoi, but becuase he is Labour. But the tide is shifting, particularly in the Pacifica community. Parata is not a hard right National member - she can draw support from both the left and the right - and she is doing that at the moment.

On the left, Trevor Mallard endorses Hekia Parata, perhaps not to win the by-election, but certainly as a front runner to be a Minister now that Pansy Wong has gone. Trevor Mallard thinks Parata may make a good education Minister. She can certainly defend National Standards better than Anne Tolley.

Many Mana voters realise that they want a person who is familiar with, and has worked in, Mana. Those who want this have only one choice. Other candidates live in the electorate, but dont work in the electorate. Fa'afoi and Matt McCarten do neither. If anyone deserves to win the Mana by-election it is Hekia Parata. It remains to be seen whether voters agree next weekend. If Fa'afoi wins Mana, some community movers and shakers won't be too happy.

More on Mana

The Alliance candidate Kelly Buchanan has effectively withrawn from the Mana by election. Although her name will be on the ballot paper because she couldn't withdraw in time, the Alliance is encouraging supporters to back McCarten. McCarten is also backed by the UNITE union.

The by-election will be held on November 20. Also, if high profile by-election candidates are going to send media releases criticising National Standards, you'd think at least they'd spell every word correctly and put commas in the correct places.

McCarten to stand in Mana

So former political party leader and former Labour member Matt McCarten is standing against Labour in the Mana by-election. It looks like Winnie Laban is going to have a dent in her majority. Hekia Parata may even win.

Winnie Laban got a 6155 majority in 2008. So what - two thirds of electorate MPs have an even higher majority. Many of these voters cast their party vote for someone other than Labour. And it is the party vote we should be looking at here, actually. Some voters of the left may decide to vote for McCarten.

Green voters are primarily from the far north of the electorate, which is why Jan Logie was campaigning in Paraparaumu during he weekend. In addition National gets a lot of votes from this area, whereas Labour tends to get its votes from Porirua East (especially Cannons Creek) and Titahi Bay. Three quarters of voters in these areas party- voted Labour in 2008, meaning that a good proportion in the north who voted for Winnie Laban cast their party vote for National or the Greens.

However Labour has a greater strength in the Porirua East compared to National strength in the North of the electorate, which is why Laban won in 2008. That’s not to say that Labour will win in 2010 as many Labour voters may back Hekia Parata for a candidate – and a byelection – vote in November.

In 2005 Labour got half the party vote, in 2008 it got 43%. A similar drop will see Faafoi get 36%, which is what Hekia Parata got in 2008, increasing National's 2005 vote. Of course this is a byelection so its a different dynamic. Independants have won by-elections - Winston Peters and Tariana Turia have; and Matiu Rata polled well when he contested a by election as an independant. All three started political parties that entered Parliament. Perhaps McCarten will be the next one to do that? Actually, wasn't McCarten Tariana Turia's by-election campaign manager?

The full list of contenders are : Kelly Buchanan for the Alliance, Julian Crawford for Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, Colin Du Plessis for ACT, Kris Faafoi for Labour, Libertarianz candidate Sean Fitzpatrick, Jan Logie for the Greens, Hekia Parata for National, and Unite union member Matt McCarten as an independent.

UPDATE Bryce Edwards, as always, has a good post up, discussing McCarten's candidacy. Edwards claims that if McCarten does well it will almost certainly be the launching pad for a new left political party.

I`m really looking forward to the candidate meetings now. Can someone tell me when the next one is?

Dunedin North is another Ohariu

With ACTs David Garrett resigning from Parliament, Hilary Calvert enters Parliament. She contested Dunedin North at the last election, which means that four candidates who contested Dunedin North at the last election will be sitting in Parliament after recess: Pete Hodgson, Michael Woodhouse, Metiria Tuei and Calvert.

The only other electorate like this is Ohariu. Four current MPs also contested Ohariu in 2008: Peter Dunne, Charles Chauvel, Gareth Hughes and Katrina Shanks. It would have been five had Heather Roy not shifted to contest Wellington Central.

Labour Party members get two votes out of seven to select a candidate for Dunedin North. And today they did so. As expected David Clark won and will be the new MP for Dunedin North after the election. His brother Ben is likely to be Labour's North Shore candidate.

As with Kris Fa’afoi, the candidate that Goffice, unions, and the local MP wanted prevailed. But unlike Fa'afoi, at least Clark appeared to have a history of involvement in the electorate.

I’m wondering why local party members in various electorates that are not associated with unions don’t have more of a say as to who their candidate is.

Labour Party members confirm Fa'afoi stitch up

updated
A commenter on Kiwiblog left this message.

As a local party member I have seen some stitch ups in my time but this was a disgrace and once again the Mana Labour party is lumbered with an out of town drop in candidate.

We should be used to it by now I guess, but it really gets my goat. Almost the entire leaders office staff including the chief of staff and leaders secretary were there today, you had a group of staff including other press secretaries and advisors counting to floor votes and “checking” membership details. They even tried to stop one longtime member in her 70s from voting – she still has Michael Joseph Savage on her kitchen wall and these upstarts tried to say she wasnt Labour!

These Goff staffers brought with them affiliated union members to stack the votes in favour of Faafoi.

The whole thing was a set up and it was a race based selection. Well, Phil Goff has got the man he wanted but he has lost my support and the support of many others in the process.

This confirms what I wrote yesterday. Now I have spoken to someone who was at the meeting yesterday. Labour's Local Electorate Committee is controlled by Winnie Laban. She wanted Fa'afoi, so her committee voted for Fa'afoi, even though some may have not supported him. Goff's office wanted Fa'afoi, and his three votes got him. The other vote was decided by the community. That vote was made up of 52 locals and 60 unionists. The locals wanted Pagani. The unionists wanted Fa'afoi. NoneAlthough apparently some of the unionists were locals, there were more unionists than other community members, so they had sway, and they were roped in as union members to represent Goffice and vote Fa'afoi, not to reflect the electorate's Labour membership.

This meant that the community vote was stacked with unionists to make sure Fa'afoi got the nod, meaning that the Local Electorate Committee actually voted against the wishes of the local voters, and stacked the floor so that the community vote also went against the wishes of the community.

No honest person is denying privately that this was a stitch up.Every union vote went to Fa'afoi and about twice as many voting locals wanted Pagani than Fa'afoi.

Fa'afoi chosen for Labour in Mana because he has a brown face and favoured by Goff

Everyone is expecting Kris Fa'afoi to be the MP for Mana. If he is, he won't measure up to either National candidate Hekia Parata or former MP Winnie Laban. Fa'afoi is chairperson of the Pacific branch in Rongotai, and has just recently joined the Labour Party. In fact there are rumours that while he was a political reporter he applied to become press secretary for a National Party Minister. He is currently Goff's chief media advisor, and has said he would campaign on employment, health, education and local issues like the expressway.

Labour obviously wanted a brown face - preferably a Pacific brown face. Fa'afoi is Tokelean.The selection process was a stitch-up right from the start and many are sick of Labour parachuting in head office appointees to win selection in one of the safest Labour seats in the country. Mana community leaders are sick of having their MP imposed upon them. Many in the electorate would vote Labour, even if a cat was the Labour candidate.

Were the local Labour electorate committee to disagree with Goff's appointee they would have been told where to go. In any case they only get three out of the seven votes so even if they all disagreed they have no say if the other four take a contrary opinion. Porirua Deputy Mayor Litea Ah Hoi is on record saying that she feels she wants to see a Pacific Islander as Mana MP. What she really means is that she doesn't want to see a Maori who so happens to have an office in the electorate and wears blue representing Mana. Its obvious that Ah Hoi and Parata cant stand each other, but Ah Hoi tends to get more media exposure than Parata and Laban, meaning the public get more chances to see what she thinks.

Don't be surprised if Ah Hoi - who is running for Porirua Mayor - and Fa'afoi campaign in a tag team. Expect to hear a bit about affluent Whitby and state -housed Cannons Creek. And who knows, if Josie Pagani was not Palagi, she may have got the nod as she may have got Head Office and Winnie Laban backing - after all she is a local and Mana deserves a person as their MP who has a strong connection to the electorate - like Hekia Parata does. Kris Faafoi has less of a connection to the electorate than Josie Pagani does.

Wonder if Josie Pagani's husband John will be Labour's campaign manager, as he was at the Mt Albert by-election, the last time Goff flew in an appointee.

Parata confirmed as Mana candidate

National list MP Hekia Parata, as expected, has been selected as National's candidate for the Mana by-election. Labour's candidate has been selected too, but they haven't announced it yet, because the official selection -process hasn't been completed, and nominations don't close until tomorrow.