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March 27, 2025
Wharehinga Leaves Politics, Urges Māori Voting
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On March 27, 2025
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Gisborne Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga is leaving local government after 11 years to focus on his businesses and push for more Māori participation in elections.
Download AudioGisborne Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga is leaving local government after 11 years to focus on his businesses and push for more Māori participation in elections.
With most Māori wards facing referendums this year, he urges Māori to vote, saying he has seen firsthand the value these wards bring to community governance.
“We need you. Get enrolled, enroll your whānau, your nieces, your nephews, your kids, your grandparents, enroll them and then get them to vote to retain the Māori wards in your guys area,” says Wharehinga.
Kaipara and Upper Hutt councils scrapped their Māori wards last year, but Wharehinga says keeping them is crucial for Māori representation.
Voting opens around September, with the results released in October.
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