Goff tells Ratana seats 'based on merit'

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Labour leader Phil Goff says his party's list is based on merit and is created through a set process so he won't be able to grant the four high list position that the Ratana movement wants.

Mr Goff attended Ratana celebrations today at the political and religious movement's marae near Wanganui. Labour has long ties with Ratana but in recent years the Maori Party has made inroads on its backing.

During the day the church's president, Andre Meihana, said that the movement had sought some commitments from Labour in exchange for ongoing support.

"One of the speakers on the (marae) today was putting a bid in to have four Ratana candidates selected as MPs," Mr Goff told NZPA.

"That's the sort of lobbying that you expect and everybody who has got an affiliation with the Labour Party would like to see more of their particular group selected."

He said the party would support more people from Ratana applying but the party had a constitution which affected how selection happened.

"We have traditionally had Ratana representation within our candidates and I would expect to continue to do so."

Mr Goff had intended to touch on last year's nationhood speech today but had not focussed on it because it did not appear to be an issue.

"Nobody has raised that issue with me here at all."

In his speech notes Mr Goff said he stood by criticisms he made in the speech last November when he accused the Government of making "shabby deals" with the Maori Party.

He said repeal of the Foreshore and Seabed Act would divide Pakeha and Maori, re-open wounds that were healing and touched on other race issues which prompted critics to accuse him of "playing the race card". The speech raised concerns among the party and caucus members, it was reported at the time.

In the notes, which Mr Goff said were a draft, he defended the speech.

"Last year in Palmerston North I expressed my and Labour's anger that the Government made a shabby deal over emissions trading, that rewarded polluters and sophisticated incorporations and put the bill for a hundred billion dollars on ordinary Maori and Pakeha tax payers in the future.

"It was a cynical act to buy votes in Parliament to pass the legislation which put at risk the integrity of the Treaty settlement process. I stand by my criticism of that."

Mr Goff said Labour opposed benefiting the elite at the expense of the majority.

He said Labour had been meeting Ratana leaders over the past year and wanted to strengthen the relationship and he said they had agreed to work on that.

"I stand here today with Labour members and more than 20 Labour MPs committed to working with you for all people," he said.

Prime Minister John Key attended Ratana on Friday.

During his welcome he was given the message by one follower that he was impressed with National and critical of the Labour Government's achievements for Maori during its nine years in power.

Ratana Church Minister Joe Everett, said: "In the short time that you have been in power you've done so much more than what others have done for the ... Maori people."

Mr Goff today disputed that. He said recently Maori had lost ground with slashing of educational opportunities as they struggled to find work.

"The near doubling of Maori unemployment since the Ratana celebrations last year shows that too little has been done to protect the vulnerable from the harsh effect of the downturn."

A Government decision to allow the tino rangatiratanga flag over the Harbour Bridge on Waitangi Day was "no real substitute for real actions to address key issues of social and economic disadvantage".

- NZPA