December 05, 2013
Tough challenge in Te Tai Hauauru
The Maori Party chooses its candidate for Te Tai Hauauru this weekend, and whoever wins will know they have a fight on their hands from Labour’s nominee.
There are six people wanting to pick up the mantle of party founder Tariana Turia, who will retire at next year’s election.
They include former Te Tai Tonga MP Rahui Katene, Frana Chase, James Makowharemahihi, Chris McKenzie, Amokura Panoho and Pakake Winiata.
The candidate will be chosen by the party’s executive this weekend and announced in Whanganui at noon on Sunday.
Against them is likely to be Adrian Rurawhe, a former chair of Mrs Turia’s iwi Ngati Apa and a great-grandson of Ratana movement founder Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana.
Mr Rurawhe worked for Mrs Turia after she took the seat for Labour in 2002 and followed her into the Maori Party.
"Like a lot of us we were all angry with the Labour Party 10 years ago. I definitely left the Labour Party back then and I was part of the Maori Party but in 2005 I stopped working for Tariana and was very much involved with Ngati Apa," he says.
Mr Rurawhe led negotiations for Ngati Apa’s 2011 treaty settlement, and is now business manager at Te Atawhai o Te Ao, an independent Maori environment and health research institute based in Whanganui.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd