It would be fair to say there has hardly been a spotlight on Maori issues during most of the election campaign.
There was no discussion about Maori or Te Tiriti during the first leaders debate hosted by TVNZ, which drew strong criticism.
There has also been barely a whisper about Ihumatao, arguably one of the most prominent political issues of the past term, other than some criticism from New Zealand First.
University of Otago Office of Maori Development director Tuari Potiki said in large part, issues of concern for Maori were the same as anyone else — housing, the economy, and the environment.
"It just feels a bit like groundhog day."
He said outside Maori media, such as The Hui and Te Karere, most discussion and debate was happening on social media.
"I think one of the reasons it’s not on the public radar is because we’re talking about Maori seats, and they are primarily, obviously, for Maori to vote on. So I think that kind of works against getting those issues more widely publicised and more widely discussed ... it wouldn’t be something people would necessarily see as relevant.
"What they’re missing out on is the broader discussion that’s relevant to everybody."
There has been limited policy announced specifically targeting Maori and Maori issues.
One of the more prominent platforms comes from the Green Party, which wants Te Reo taught in all public schools, more health services delivered through marae, and tikanga and Te Reo programmes available in all prisons and youth justice centres.
Labour for its part has pledged to make Matariki, the Maori New Year, a public holiday.
A decision on the disputed land at Ihumatao may also be imminent.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters recently said an Ihumatao deal could have broken the Labour-New Zealand First coalition and emphasised the party’s role in stopping a Government deal over the South Auckland land.
As part of its health policy, National would require DHBs to annually construct and report against a Maori health strategy to help address inequities.
