'Survivance to thrivance': Te Pāti Māori call upon Pacific community to help it end poverty

Te Pāti Māori believes Pacific communities have a lot to gain if they give them their party vote on election day.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader and candidate for Te Tai Hauāuru​ Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says Māori and Pacific peoples interests already align and are the values that formed the party's policies.

"Collectively, we all care about the wellbeing of our whānau, and we all care about our environment," Ngarewa-Packer told 531pi's ​Pacific Mornings.

It's been just over a week since Japan began dispersing 1.4 million tonnes of treated and dilluted radioactive wastewater, which Ngarewa-Packer says is an example of how big international issues are also just as relevant to Pacific communities.

​​"Every decision that's been made in a polluting sense is affecting all the Pacific."​

​Ngarewa-Packer says ending poverty is another drive behind their policies which aim to uplift poorer communities from "that state of survivance to thrivance​."

"The [proposed] wealth tax makes sure that we're targeting the super rich. There'll be no tax to those who earn less than thirty thousand [per annum] which is unbelievably 2.1 million and predominantly Māori and Pasifika.

"We're just over the fact we have a system that continues to look after the two per cent that own more than 50 per cent of the wealth."

Watch the full interview below or head to 531pi's Facebook page to like and share

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