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National | Elections

Election Aotearoa: The Candidates - Ikaroa Rāwhiti

Three mana wāhine are vying to win the seat in the East Coast electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.  In the third of Māori Television’s political debates, we speak with Marama Fox from the Māori Party, incumbent MP Meka Whaitiri from Labour and Dr Elizabeth Kerekere from the Green Party.

Part One of the debate, we discuss with the candidates the results from Māori Television’s exclusive political poll.

From Hicks Bay in the East Cape, through to Gisborne, Napier, Wairarapa and Wainuiomata, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is still hooked on Labour.

Labour’s Incumbent Meka Whaitiri is well ahead with more than half the vote at 55%.

Māori Party co-leader, Marama Fox is 16 points behind on 39% followed by the Green’s candidate, Dr Elizabeth Kerekere at 6%.

Presenters Oriini Kaipara and Heta Gardiner get the reaction from the candidates about the revealing poll.

"Māori Party co-leader, Marama Fox, is facing the battle for her political life in the seat of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti," says Gardiner. "If she doesn’t win, she has to rely on the party vote to get her back to Parliament."