Labour leader Chris Hipkins has accused National, ACT and New Zealand First of 'race baiting' while on the campaign trail in Northland today.
He made the comments to a predominately Māori audience in Kawakawa, where he described two approaches he said leaders from traditional political parties take at elections in terms of Māori politics and politicians.
"It's depressing that the options seem to be race bait or keep quiet."
Hipkins said that he would refuse to choose either of those options.
"I’ve decided to do something novel, and that’s tell the truth and stick to my values."
Speaking with media later, Hipkins said that National leader Christopher Luxon was condoning racism by not calling it out.
“I don’t think you should condone racism by not calling it out. I think when you see it, you should call it out. And that’s what I have always tried to do and is what I’ll continue to do. He certainly is not calling out racism in the way that I think leaders should. I have and I will.”
Hipkins said that Luxon's "one system for all" commitment to abolishing the Māori Health Authority made him "angry".
"It makes me angry that he wants 'one system for all' even when that one system fails 20% of the population, and has failed them for decades."
The National leader was asked for comment shortly after by media.
"I disagree completely," said Luxon.
"Chris Hipkins is a desperate guy in a desperate situation and he has no record to run on. He has no ideas to take the country forward. And sadly for him, I think he's turned the debate into a very negative one and a personal one."
It comes after the second Leaders' Debate, where Hipkins and Luxon agreed that a quote from an NZ First candidate describing Māori as a "disease" was racist.
Labour's Northland candidate Willow-Jean Prime said she has faced "racism" from audiences at some candidate events, whilst out on the campaign trail.
She suggested it was indicative of the "dog-whistling" happening during this year's campaign.
Prime said: "In some of the candidate debates, I have received some of the worst comments and vitriol that I have experienced in seven campaigns - two in local government and five for central government.
"Whenever I said a te reo Māori word, like puku for full tummies with lunches in schools, I was shouted at. When I said Aotearoa, the crowd responded: 'It's New Zealand!'"
All this comes as Prime battles to keep the Northland seat from falling to her National opponent Grant McCallum.
"Traditionally, National's won this seat. That doesn't mean we're going to win it this time. But people of the North want to see someone out there working for them," he said.
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