Maori Party

Changes to Whanau Ora trumpeted by the minister in charge of the scheme, Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia, unfortunately seem only to have raised more concerns with critics.

National's "mixed ownership model" - the innocuous-sounding vehicle tasked with making the party's unpopular privatisation agenda more appetising - paradoxically may yet end up making the partial sell-offs of state corporations even less palatable to voters.

The Maori Party's Pita Sharples has been re-elected as the party's co-leader after fellow MP Te Ururoa Flavell told the party he was unwilling to challenge Dr Sharples for the position.

Developing Whanau Ora, a ministerial committee on poverty and a new focus for Te Puni Kokiri are the centrepiece of an agreement reached yesterday between National and the Maori Party on confidence and supply.

The Maori Party hui over a proposed confidence and supply agreement with National began last night but ministerial positions would not be discussed, Maori Party president Pem Bird told The New Zealand Herald.

The Otago Daily Times is profiling the region's electorates, the candidates, and the issues in the lead-up to this month's general election. Reporter Eileen Goodwin takes a look at Te Tai Tonga.

The Maori Party wants to make te reo "compulsorily available" in schools by 2015 but pupils would not be compelled to take the subject.

ACT leader Don Brash is challenging the Maori Party to a debate after his party ran controversial racial ads at the weekend.

The Maori Party says co-leader Tariana Turia was not pressured to admit she "stuffed up" in effectively writing off her own candidate in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election.

The Maori Party is ruling out standing against Hone Harawira in his Te Tai Tokerau electorate - for now.

As new foreshore legislation makes its way through Parliament independent MP Hone Harawira, has written to his former Maori Party colleagues pleading them to pull support for it.