12 August 2014

Labour candidate plans to leave electorate after election

The Labour candidate and front-runner for Tamaki Makaurau, Peeni Henare, has plans to leave the electorate and return to his home in Northland soon after the election on20 September. This is according to Ngapuhi kaumatua David Rankin, who has challengedHenare to confirm otherwise.

‘Currently, Peeni Henare is living in rental accommodation in Grey Lynn, having recently moved away from living in a flat in his main constituency in South Auckland’, says Mr Rankin. ‘I have challenged him to confirm that he will remain living in Tamaki Makaurau, but he refuses to give any assurances’.

Peeni Henare is the son of Erima Henare, the head of the Maori Language Commission andthe King Movement’s Northland spokesman, and is a late-comer to politics. He was brought in to the Tamakai Makaurau electorate by Labour, after the party experienced problems with its previous candidates, including former TVNZ employee Shane Taurima.

‘Everyone knows Peeni Henare was a last minute choice’, says Mr Rankin. ‘He was dragged to Auckland because Labour couldn’t find anyone else to stand for the Tamaki Makaurauseat. And it is widely known that as soon as the election is over, he will be in his car and heading back up north to Motatau where he lives’.

According to Mr Rankin, Henare is expecting to be elected by a comfortable margin, and does not want voters to know that he will be a non-resident MP. ‘As Maori, we want our MPs to live in the electorates where they stand, and to have made some contribution to those electorates. Henare has failed on both these counts. In this way, he reminds Maori of his cousin Tau Henare, who also failed to achieve anything for our people in his years in Parliament.’

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