October 16, 2023
Rangatahi vote gives Te Pati Māori vigour
Labour’s grip on the Māori seats was shaken in Saturday’s election, with Te Pati Māori harnessing the youth vote to win four seats.
The longest-serving wahine Māori MP, Nanaia Mahuta, conceded her Hauraki-Waikato seat to Hana Maipi-Clarke, who at 21 will become the youngest-ever sitting MP – a title Ms Mahuta also held when she first came to parliament in 1996 aged 26.
Other impressive firsts include being New Zealand’s first wahine Māori foreign minister and the first MP to wear a moko kauae.
Rawiri Waititi retained Waiariki with an election night majority of 11,495 over Toni Bidois, and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer won Te Tai Hauauru on her second attempt by a thumping 6347 votes over Soraya Peke-Mason.
The fourth seat to go to Te Pati Māori was Te Tai Tonga, where Takuta Ferris has an election night majority of 1463 over Rino Tirikatene, who will come back to parliament as a list MP.
Kelvin Davis in Te Tai Tokerau and Peeni Henare in Tamaki Makaurau both fended off strong challenges, and newcomer Cushla Tangaere-Manuel beat Meka Whaitiri to keep Ikaroa Rawhiti in Labour hands.
As Te Pati Māori has more electorate seats than its 2.6 percent of the party vote entitles it to, there will be at least a one-seat overhang in the parliament.
Māori within Labour’s caucus of 34 also include Willie Jackson and Adrian Rurawhe, who had high list rankings, Willow Jean Prime and Jo Luxton, who lost their seats but come back on the list, and Arena Williams, who held Manurewa.
The Greens will have five Māori MPs – co-leader Marama Davidson and Teanui Tuiono, and new MPs, Huhana Lyndon, Darleen Tana, and Tamatha Paul, who won Wellington Central.