May 03, 2023
Whaitiri set to jump waka
Labour Minister Meka Whaitiri is set to quit the party and stand for Te Pati Māori in the October election.
Te Ao Māori News reported she will make a formal announcement at Waipatu Marae in Hastings this morning.
Ms Whaitiri did not take calls from colleagues or the media yesterday.
She entered parliament in 2013 after winning the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election after the death of Parekura Horomia, for whom she had worked as electorate secretary.
She was appointed to cabinet after the 2017 general election but stood down after allegations of bullying.
After support from her Maori colleagues, she was reappointed as a minister outside Cabinet after the 2020 election, responsible for Customs, Food Safety and Veterans, with associate roles for Agriculture and Statistics.
Ms Whaitiri was last month put in charge of coordinating the cyclone response for Hawke’s Bay after Stuart Nash was sacked, but she missed out on taking the Cabinet vacancy left by Nash.