Mike's Minute: All Blacks vs The Māori Party

What a contrast Saturday night was.

At Eden Park the rugby as good as you could possibly want.

For all the hype and worry of the week, the All Blacks reminded us that when it all comes together, when it really matters and records of significance are on the line, there is no side in the world that can touch them.

We won well. We never looked like we would lose and when you know you are that good there is no reason to believe you won't win the rest of the season.

In the meantime, in the by-election, what a shocking reminder of several things;

1) Given MMP, we no longer need Māori seats.

2) Given those who argue for Māori seats do so at least in part because Māori need to see themselves represented and they need the chance to participate, why then don’t they?

The turn out was appalling. It was a joke.

3) What does the result tell the Labour Party?

4) What does the result tell the Māori Party?

Let's deal with number three first. The seat has been Henare's for three terms until he lost last time by 42 votes. Not great, but not the end of the world.

Yet on Saturday they rejected him spectacularly. Not only couldn’t they get the vote out, but those that did turn up didn’t want Henare or Labour.

You can argue all you want about by-elections and history and turn outs, but this was embarrassing.

On number four, this was not a win for their candidate. This was a win for the party. The candidate didn’t seem up to much but, worryingly, that doesn’t seem to matter, which indicates in most races we don’t vote for the individual, we vote for the party.

The Māori Party will be worried because they too failed to get the vote out. But they'll be buoyed by the fact that they seem to have the Māori vote, such as it is, stitched up.

So the All Blacks march on after one of the great matches and the Māori Party take a win that was worryingly troubled.

The Labour Party must really be wondering if the size of this rejection is potentially there to be played out again next year, short of them doing something pretty spectacular between now and next October/November.  

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