MAORI VOTERS DEFENDED

Chronicle (Levin), 17 December 1946, Page 5

MAORI VOTERS DEFENDED

WKLLlNli'tON, Dec. 16. He felt it his dutv to the Maori people and to others, to cominent on nnlny stiiteinents tlmt had been made relative to, the re-electiort with overvvhelming majorities, of the four Maori Members to 1'arJiitme , said Mr. E. T. ririkatene, Minister representing the Mauri race on the Fxecutive Council, in KUinming up the results of the eleetion from the Maori point of view, today, 11 in my opinion, " he said, "the results of the election leave little doubt that 'tlie .Mauri people have a clcarer vonception bf their economic needs than those who are sornewhat critic'al out ignorant of Maori thought today. There has been some trenchant eriticism made regarding tlie Rarliamentary responsibilities of the Maori representatives 111 tlie House. It would appear to me sucli criticism merely tends to show Jack of appreciation by those critics of what tlie .Maori represeutatives in Parliament should or should not do. I would sav that if the MemDers, in the eyes of the Maori people, iiad not done justice in the wider sense to the people they rejiresent, tlien this would have been retlected in the voting. The singling out of .Maori Members, I think, sliows that there are some who have gone oUt of their way to agitate racial distifictions. 1 would point out that it would have shown a sense of fair play if the question of tlie attendance or absenteeisiu of all other memOers iiad been mentioned too. " Btressing the fact that the Maori electious were conducted without rolls or that plural voting may have taken place, is, I think, almost tantamount to (luestioning the integrity of the eJectorai officers. Tlie 2ilaori votes by declaration as to his stalus but casts his actual vote secretly. The penultv for, uon-observance of the' regulations is known to all and even' an xntcn.se in(piiry by one returning officer for the Maoris has not resulted in any prosecuLions. This, 1 think, elearJy indicates lliat the plural voting bogey was set up as an excuse for Joss'of face. " .Mr. Tirikatone sxiid he concurred with what the Prime : Minister said, "that the Maori ;' pci6.pl e voted for equality in all spheres-— poiitical, edu- J cational, social and ecopomic— and for j irie*'fiiture of tlie raee.dh that basis. " While there were certa'in pluises al'fect-j ing t he jirogre.ss of the .Maori to abso- ; lute equality iu all Ihings, attention to ' these aspects was now being intensi-: lied and the practical iinjilementat ioit ! of the Maori Bocial and Economic. Ad j vnncement Act in conjunctioii withj other necessiirv measures having priority, would soon acliieve the desired goal.