Māori MPs facing grilling from students

University of Auckland students will gather tonight to grill Māori politicians at the university's first Kōrero Māori event.

Students and public alike are invited to attend the question and answer session hosted by Kōrero NZ at Waipapa Marae from 6pm.

This kōrero sill focus on cultural preservation and racism, an issue event organiser Farren McGregor-Smyth said was an ever-present reality for young Māori.

“We are here to tell you about how we feel and what are you going to be able to do to help us.

“We do have a voice and opinion regarding these issues and will bring those opinions to the talk by asking questions and challenging ideas of what they’re saying.”

Politicians from five parties will attend the event, but Ms McGregor-Smyth said the discussion would not about specific party policy, but about how MPs could help and work with Māori regardless of political standing.

“We are trying to look at it from the things that affect us the most and get them to address those.

“The issues that we’re talking about have been going on for years, and it’s topics that are reoccurring and they’re not doing about it."

The attending politicians will be Peeni Henare (Labour), Marama Davidson (Greens), Jenny Marcroft (NZ First), Marama Fox (Māori Party), and Jo Hayes (National).

Attendees will be able to question the politicians, with some prepared questions considering institutional racism, health care options for minority groups, freedom of speech, the Māori seats in Parliament and the marginalisation of tikanga in a European New Zealand.

University student Hautapu Baker will MC the night, with challengers Pania Newton, from Save our Unique Landscape, and Aaryn Hulme-Niuapu holding the politicians to account.

Co-organiser Jacqueline Paul said politics may overshadow some of the essential issues up for discussion but they would do their best to keep the MP’s in check.

“At the moment politics are not being written from our ideologies. I really hope that they set the scene as a safe space to have a kōrero and a meaningful conversation about these types of things.”