Māori MPs Debate in Te Reo, Minus the Bite

Waiora Te Moni, a staff member at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in Tairāwhiti (Te Horiangi), discusses a first-of-its-kind election event where Māori MPs and candidates from across the political spectrum gathered to speak with students entirely in Te Reo Māori. The event, sparked by colleague Katie Perkins' idea, drew far more candidates than organisers expected, including Karen Chhour, who isn't fluent but prepared responses in Māori, and Dame Naida Glavish standing in for an absent candidate.

Te Moni reflects on how the kaupapa felt markedly different from mainstream political debates, with candidates treating each other as whānau rather than rivals, and shares insights from asking MPs about their personal Te Reo learning journeys rather than just policy. On substance, she notes near-universal support among candidates for lowering the voting age to sixteen and reducing the pension age, alongside a Labour pledge (revealed on air) to cap public transport fares at $20, while most other policy questions drew qualified "yes, but" answers rather than firm commitments.

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