Mana Motuhake does not want ‘protest votes’

Press, 3 November 1981, Page 19

Mana Motuhake does not want ‘protest votes’

PA Auckland Mr Matiu Rata, president of Mana Motuhake. opened his election campaign in Auckland saying that the new party did not want any protest votes. Mr Rata said he was interested only in votes which showed confirmation of his party's policies. About 50 people gathered at Te Mahurehure marae at Point Chevalier to hear Mr Rata, who told them that the emergence of Mana Motuhake meant that Maori politics would never be the same again.

“This election there is a distinctive alternative for Maori people,” he said. “While other parties have been concentrating on our economic future, we have been responding to a political awareness among our people. We have a duty to offer an alternative social course."

However, Mr Rata said a protest vote .was no good to the party. The most important thing was for the Maori people to cast a vote for the party they believed in. As part of the alternatives envisaged by Mana Motuhake, Mr Rata said the party would seek major social changes aimed at strengthening families.

He said Mana Motuhake was concerned about the image of the nuclear family of “mum. dad. the kids, and a lot of plastic furniture” being

promoted as the norm. “Our concept is of the extended family and this concept needs to be embraced in the laws of the country, laws aimed at helping families.” Mr Rata said families were part of the New Zealand capacity to rebuild itself as a nation. Families had been responsible for starting the country in the first place and some of the power should be put back in their hands. Mana Motuhake advocates automatic six-monthly adjustments to family benefits according to inflation, and' tax exemptions related to family needs in the area of housing, rates, insurance, and travel. Families should be encouraged to use public transport by offering them special exemptions and cheaper fares. New policies could be formed to help families to borrow money from finance companies to follow cultural or economic interests. Mr Rata said more business could be returned to being run by families, particularly hotels. He said it would be worth while amending the liquor licensing laws to give priority to family interests rather than the big liquor companies. Mr Rata closed his address by saying that he was confident the party would win a seat in Parliament at the Genera] Election.