The Mana Party’s selection of a right-wing candidate for the crucial Tamaki Makaurau electorate is a blow for the left of the party. Mana will be pitting ‘waka jumper’ Kereama Pene against Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples. Pene is a self-declared fan of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. The Ratana Church minister is also a former supporter of the now defunct Christian fundamentalist Destiny New Zealand party, and has also given his support at various times to Labour, Mana Motuhake and to the Maori Party. Guest blogger John Moore argues that the selection of Kereama Pene represents the marginalisation of the left within the Mana Party. For although the party appears radical on paper, in reality a number of Mana’s leaders aim to cut deals and form alliances with parties that would have little interest in Mana’s ‘socialist’ policies. Therefore, the selection of Karema Pene sends a signal that Mana is both ideologically flexible and that the party’s socialists are being kept on a tight leach. All of this amounts to the attempt by a section of Mana’s leadership to present the party as respectable and non-threatening. So, is the game up for Mana’s left? [Read more below]