The 7 Maori electorates voted in 5 Maori Party MPs, and 2 Labour MPs – Parekura Horomia and Nanaia Mahuta holding onto Ikaroa-Rawhiti and Hauraki-Waikato respectively.
With a National Government – and no prospect of talks with Labour – the Maori Party are not needed by National, ACT and United Future to rule, but have still been invited in to talks with National leader John Key tomorrow.
While I have no doubt anything negotiated by Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples will be brought back to Maori through consultative hui, it’s worth considering where Maori who voted in the Maori electorates put their party vote – and it wasn’t with the right:
It’s impossible to say why Maori voters in the Maori electorates are so emphatically rejecting the right while non-Maori New Zealanders are embracing them – but it does mean John Key’s National has a long way to go. Since he no longer needs the Maori Party this term, it will be interesting to see what he is prepared to offer – and whether any deals struck shift Maori voters towards the right next election.
LudditeJourno 
It’s impossible to say why Maori voters in the Maori electorates are so emphatically rejecting the right while non-Maori New Zealanders are embracing them
Naah, it’s easy. Several decades of scare tactics by Labour have worked wonders. Ruth Richardson and Don Brash (amongst others) have provided plenty of ammo for them.
Your pretty pie chart does not tell all, however. Many Maori voted Labour because they were afraid the maori party would go with National or that National would otherwise beat Labour. Now both have come to pass. Should this work out to have some good wins for Maori (and there is no reason it shouldn’t) then I expect a large number of your red block voters to go brown next election
But Labour have not exactly been pro-Maori either – Foreshore and Seabed Act, no response to Don Brash’s Orewa speech etc. And my point was really why didn’t the voters in the Maori seats swing the way the rest of the country did? And that, I think, has some complex answers along the lines of class, National party treatment of Maori, Ratana history, and as you say, the desire to ‘steer’ the Maori party towards Labour rather than National. Plus perhaps loyalty to particular Maori MPs in Labour.
I’m fascinated with John Key courting Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples – and personally watch with bated breath to see how that turns out – not sure I agree with you about firstly good wins likely under National, and secondly, where Maori may go next election with their party votes. We’ll see. Just don’t think tino rangatiratanga fits into the world-view of either mainstream political party in Aotearoa at the moment. Call me a cynic 😉