Listen Now: 
MPs from across all parties gathered in Parliament at 2 pm today to pay their respects to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp, who died in the early hours of Thursday aged 50. Parliament then adjourned for the week in her honour, with flags lowered to half‑mast across the precinct. Speaker Gerry Brownlee announced the gathering with solemnity, marking a heartfelt tribute before rising for the remainder of the day. The House was filled with E Pā tō Hau and Whakaaria Mai, as colleagues remembered her with flowers and the Te Pāti Māori flag draped over her empty seat.
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Rawiri Waititi (Te Pāti Māori co-leader):
“Devastating… she was the calm in the storm… served right to the end”
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John Tamihere (Party President): Shared how Kemp continued working through dialysis at home and posted until late the night before she passed
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Peeni Henare (Labour MP and former rival):
“She called me brother, I called her sister… truly shocking”
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Willie Jackson (Labour MP): Praised her for helping shape the urban Māori movement and being a “leader in her own right before politics”
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National’s Tama Potaka (Cabinet Minister and relative): Led tributes by acknowledging her whakapapa connections and dedication to rangatahi
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Shane Jones (NZ First MP) and David Seymour (ACT leader): Called it a “very sad day”, offering heartfelt condolences
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Green co-leader Marama Davidson: Referred to Kemp as a “great tōtara” who stood for Māori and Aotearoa with humility and strength
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Debbie Ngarewa‑Packer: Spoke movingly of Kemp as a “beautiful soul and gracious servant leader”
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Community advocate Dave Letele: Called Kemp a “pillar” of the Manurewa community, particularly during the COVID-19 vaccine outreach
Takutai Tarsh Kemp’s passing has united Aotearoa in grief and gratitude. The outpouring of tributes from Parliament, iwi, and community-honours a “calm in the storm,” a champion of rangatahi, and a Māori leader who gave everything until the end.
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