A report produced for the Electoral Commission - May 2007.  The work consists of a 60-page report (for which the Contents list follows).  The work is available for download in .pdf format to the right..

Table of contents

1.0 Executive Summary

2.0 Methodology

3.0 Data Analysis Instruments

4.0 The Profile of Māori Who Do Not Vote

5.0 Māori and Voting

6.0 Sub-Sample Survey Responses

7.0 Conclusion from this survey

8.0 Bibliography

Executive Summary

Sixty-nine respondents from Best Outcomes for Māori: Te Hoe Nuku Roa ousehold survey were specifically interviewed for this research. In addition the voting patterns of 400 kaumātua/older Māori are also reported.

The profile of Māori who do not vote

• Age and standard of living were the two main variables affecting voting: i.e. younger Māori with a less comfortable living standard were least likely to vote.
• Cultural identity i.e. the level of involvement in Te Ao Māori had less effect on participants’ propensity to vote than their age, level of education and standard of living.

Participation in the electoral system

• For Māori, participation in the electoral system involves two steps: choosing an electoral roll and then voting in a general election;
• Cultural identity appears to influence voting behaviour and participants’ views of politics. Particularly, cultural identity was significant in the selection of electoral roll and may explain lower levels of faith and trust in government and politicians;

Māori attitudes towards politics, elections and representation

• Māori participants had relatively greater trust in democracy and voting than they did in the actions of government and MPs.
• Māori participants had high expectations of Māori MPs, and were likely to be more familiar with their Māori electorate MP than either their general electorate or local list MP.
• Māori participants expressed a preference to approach their Māori electorate MP rather than other local MPs in some instances;
• Despite having comparatively low levels of confidence and trust in government and MPs, participants in this study were more politically active than respondents in the New Zealand Elections Study 2005.
• Across a range of “Māori” policy areas, participants were strongly of the view that the status of the Treaty of Waitangi should not be weakened by suggested amendments to current constitutional arrangements.
• A strong preference for the retention of the Māori seats in parliament was consistent with other electoral studies.

Older Māori

• A study of 406 older Māori undertaken in 2006 confirmed the findings of this study
• 79% of these respondents preferred the Māori electoral roll, 20% general, and 1% reported they were not enrolled;
• 92% of these respondents reported they had voted in the last general election.