The Hui's Waiariki debate is about to start so we're interrupting our leader's debate coverage to take a look at this. A thread!
It's started.
That cowboy hat is certainly conspicuous.
Tamati begins by saying that he hopes that voters will give Labour two ticks again.
Hannah Tamaki says she has experience and whānau, and that after working with people every day, she is determined to make a difference as a mana wahine, and it is time for a mana wahine to take the seat, and that she urges voters to take a step of faith.
Rawiri says it is time to return a Māori voice to the Waiariki seat, and to return a Māori voice that will not be silent, subjucated and assimilated, and saying voters should return the Māori Party to Parliament.
Doing a vox pop now.
Rawiri certainly has quite a bit of personality and charisma.
Tamati Coffey says he "wishes like heck" Labour didn't inherit the housing crisis, and wishes that National didn't sell off state houses, and says Labour set a too ambitious target, but has still built state houses in Rotorua.
Tamati says "we need to do better" for Māori health and housing.
Rawiri Waititi says housing's been an issue for many years, and that this goes back to the neoliberal reforms of the Labour Party in the 80s. The Māori Party, Rawiri says, will build 2000 homes, creating jobs in trade and putting people in homes.
The Māori Party's flagship whānau first policy will also put 25% of tourism contracts into projects by Māori, for Māori.
Tamati Coffey says that Labour is focusing on trades, and has scrapped apprenticeship fees, and that we need builders and sparkies to fix the housing crisis.
Tamati Coffey says that 138 of government agencies must consider bettering Māori outcomes.
Hannah Tamaki says that the day of us pussyfooting around is over. Then they all started shouting over each other about percentages. Certainly more lively than the other debates.
@TheHuiNZ Honestly think that with that 1080 tangent Hannah Tamaki was just embarrassing herself. Rawiri Waititi and Tamati Coffey both making good, well-thought out points. #Decision20
Rawiri Waititi says the Māori Party will release a housing policy on Thursday, and that the problem is successive governments giving rich friends a hand up. Rawiri says the Māori Party is proposing a 2% capital gains tax & stopping international buyers coming in and buying homes.
Tamati Coffey says the Labour Party has ruled out a capital gains tax.
Hannah Tamaki says Vision will give back Māori land in government hands, saying that she is standing for the people.
In regards to increased state housing waiting lists in Rotorua, Tamati Coffey says the pandemic has been the reason behind this, while Rawiri Waititi says he doesn't take responsibility for the failures of the National-led government.
Rawiri Waititi is very assertive in this debate.
In regards to taking responsibility, Rawiri asked if Tamati will take responsibility for the Tūhoe raids or foreshore and seabed.
Question: How would you make sure that there are more Māori or the right Māori around the decision table to give confidence that there is a strong COVID response.
Rawiri Waititi speaks about the Māori Party's COVID response, and also says that 71% of tautoko that Māori got came from Māori organisations, with 1.7% coming from Civil Defence.
Rawiri says "we know how to look after ourselves".
Tamati Coffey jokingly says that Paul Goldsmith might be helping Rawiri Waititi with his numbers, and that Labour is working to appoint Māori to district health boards.
Hannah Tamaki says that Vision NZ wanted to close the borders in April, saying that a whole lot of Asians were getting off a plane.
"Bring our people home, yes, but don't bring foreigners in." - Hannah Tamaki
Rawiri Waititi says that the testing was too weak.
Hannah Tamaki says that people should not have to take things in their body that are foreign if they don't want to in regards to immunisation.
Hannah Tamaki said something about indoctrination but I couldn't quite hear, and then said she would not take a COVID-19 vaccine.
Rawiri Waititi says we need to find a vaccine, and there needs to be a vaccine before international students come in, while Tamati Coffey says a lot of people believe what Hannah believes.
@TheHuiNZ So far Hannah Tamaki has peddled anti-vaccine and anti-1080 conspiracy theories. What a mess. #Decision20
The next question's about suicide awareness.
Hannah Tamaki wants to empower whānau to be able to talk, and that having someone who cares for someone will help, saying we need 24/7 at all times for all people.
Tamati Coffey says that we need to make sure that it is not the government working on this one, and instead working with Māori organisations.
Rawiri Waititi wants to start channeling mental health funding to Māori organisations, saying that mental health funding is westernised, and that we need to reconnect our people, speaking about hundreds of years of abuse by the two major parties.
Lot more shouting in this debate.
Rawiri Waititi says Māori own the water.

Tamati Coffey says Māori have special rights and interests in the water, and that they own the water.

Hannah Tamaki tells Tamati to stop poisoning our water, with both Hannah and Rawiri calling for an end to bottling Otakiri Springs.
I've said this, but this debate is a lot louder than the others. Fairly frequently Rawiri and Hannah will agree with each other- though I must stress, not on the 1080 and vaccine stuff.
Rawiri Waititi calls for making te reo Māori compulsory, and that returning place names is putting a toe in the ground.
Hannah Tamaki says we have enough people of other faiths now, and that Hindus are the second-highest faith, with Hannah Tamaki saying this country was built on the backbone of Christianity, saying our forefathers fought for God, saying instead of mosques, we should build houses.
Cannabis referendum:

Tamati Coffey: Yes
Hannah Tamaki: Absolutely not
Rawiri: Yes
Euthanasia referendum:

Rawiri Waititi: Absolute no
Hannah Tamaki: Absolute no (they both said this)
Tamati Coffey: Yes
Rawiri Waititi says a politician he admires is his aunties and uncles, saying that the politicians are in the marae.
Hannah Tamaki says she doesn't admire any politician, but loves Martin Luther King Jr.
Tamati Coffey admires Annette Sykes.
And that's the debate! There are 4 left to go, including 1 tomorrow in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, with Meka Whaitiri, Heather Te Au Skipworth, and Elizabeth Kerekere.
The debate was a lot more heated than any of the others. I think Rawiri Waititi and Tamati Coffey both did a good job, while Hannah Tamaki tried to project as kind of politically incorrect, saying she wouldn't get a COVID vaccine, no new mosques, 1080 is poisoning rivers, etc.
Rawiri Waititi was very vocal, while Tamati Coffey was more quiet and measured. In what could be the seat that decides the Māori Party's fate, I think they both did pretty well. Who do you think won?
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