The mature student splitting his vote between Te Pāti Māori and the Greens

Shalako Rameka is worried about increasing racism, disharmony and changing the government.

Name: Shalako Rameka

Age: 48

Occupation: Student

Electorate: Tāmaki Makaurau (Papatoetoe)

Living situation: Living with a close friend and his son, who is my godson.

Are you on the Māori roll or general roll? I just changed to the Māori roll last year. I did the mātauranga Māori course [at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa] last year, and I actually found my Māori identity. I didn't realise how disconnected I was, and when I found it, I realised this is my time to stand with my people. So that's why I made the change, I wanted to be part of our people, part of the change. 

Who are you voting for? Party vote will definitely be the Greens. Oriini Kaipara is probably going to get my candidate vote.

What attracts you to them? I really like the Greens’ kōrero. I've been following their kōrero quite a bit, and I like them because they focus on some of the key issues for me like environmental issues and Māori issues. They're also a bit more united than the Māori Party. I like Oriini because I liked her kōrero last year when she was running for Tāmaki Makaurau. She's a good mana wāhine Māori. She's got her head on straight. She's connected to people. She's out there connecting with the communities, networking and stuff. So that's really good to see. I reckon that's the real measure of a good politician, someone who gets out there, connects with all people, and not just a certain group of people.

What are the three biggest issues for you this election? Racism is quite a big thing, especially with the “special treatment” kōrero going on again. The other thing is disharmony of the Māori Party. Not just the Māori Party but disharmony across the board. It seems like a big campaign of trying to make each other look bad. It's not a good thing. The third issue is actually the government. That's a big issue, changing the government. They lack the ability to connect with other people and just have a heart. It's almost like they've got no heart. Chris Luxon has no heart.

Do you talk politics at home? My friend I live with is a law student at AUT, so he’s doing the tikanga side of law and stuff. It’s a good sharing thing, we talk about Māori academics like Justice Joe Williams and others, we debate things, and usually we agree on a lot of things. Sometimes our points get lost because of miscommunications but we usually agree on the same things. It’s good having a friend like that at home that can talk about those things.

Can you describe Aotearoa New Zealand in three words? Hot melting pot.

If you had to tattoo the face of one politician on your body, who would it be and why? That’s hard. It definitely wouldn’t be Winnie [Winston Peters]. If Tame Iti was in politics, I wouldn’t mind getting him. I’d probably get Oriini because she looks the most distinguished.

Will you be voting on the election day or before? Probably before.

What will you be doing on election night? When’s election night? I think I’m volunteering here [at Te Wānanga o Aoteoaroa] helping with a conference for some students. I’m not sure if it’s the same night, otherwise, I don’t have any plans.

– As told to Liam Rātana