Nā Kawe Roes | Waatea News | Tāmaki Makaurau
Oriini Kaipara has climbed the maunga. From the newsroom to the whare Pāremata, she now stands as the newly elected Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau, representing Te Pāti Māori. With nearly 80% of the vote counted, Kaipara surged ahead with 5,059 votes leaving Labour’s Peeni Henare trailing by more than 2,400 votes.
This wasn’t just a win. It was a wero laid down by the people of Tāmaki Makaurau, and Oriini picked it up with grace, grit, and a moko kauae that speaks louder than any campaign slogan.
Ko wai a Oriini Kaipara?
He uri nō Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa, me Ngāti Rangitihi, Oriini Kaipara was born in Whakatāne and raised in te ao Māori. Her journey into broadcasting began after training at South Seas Film and Television School, followed by early roles at Mai FM and Waka Huia.
She made history in 2019 as the first wahine with a moko kauae to present mainstream news on national television. In 2021, she became the first to anchor a prime-time bulletin. Her presence on screen was more than representation it was reclamation.
Her connection to Hoani Waititi Marae and kura kaupapa Māori runs deep. Oriini was shaped by the kaupapa of the marae and the kura, where te reo Māori and tikanga are not just taught they’re lived. That grounding in kaupapa Māori education has remained a constant in her life, influencing her journalism, her leadership, and now her politics.
In 2023, she stepped away from journalism to become Māori cultural lead for the New Zealand Olympic Committee. But when Te Pāti Māori called her to stand in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election following the passing of MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp, Oriini answered.
He Pou Whakarae – A Mentor, A Boss
I had the privilege of working alongside Oriini at Māori Television. She mentored me in Māori broadcasting, and I saw firsthand the way she pushed for quality kōrero in everything she did whether it was a live cross, a panel discussion, or a deep-dive into kaupapa Māori.
She’s a boss. Not just in the newsroom, but in the way she carries herself, the way she speaks, and the way she uplifts others. Now, she’s taken that same energy to Parliament. She’s got a seat at the round table, and believe me she’s not there to warm it.
One of the many whakataukī she used to push me forward in my own journey was:
“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.”
My strength is not that of a single warrior, but that of many.
That’s Oriini. She walks with the strength of her people behind her.
Te Hapori, te Mana, te Wahine
Kaipara’s campaign was unapologetically Māori. Her tartan paraikete and red beret became symbols of defiance and pride. She spoke of Treaty entrenchment, decolonisation, and Māori-led solutions to housing, poverty, and systemic injustice.
Her kōrero was raw, real, and rooted in whakapapa. She didn’t pretend to be a seasoned politician she stood as a wāhine Māori with lived experience, media savvy, and a deep commitment to her people.
Peeni Henare Bows Out
Peeni Henare, a seasoned MP and former Cabinet Minister, conceded the race as the numbers rolled in. His loss marks a turning point for Labour in Māori electorates, where the tide is clearly shifting toward kaupapa Māori movements.
Henare’s legacy is significant, but the electorate has spoken: it’s time for new voices, new energy, and a new vision.
He Wāhanga Hou mō Tāmaki Makaurau
Kaipara’s win is a tohu of transformation. Tāmaki Makaurau, with its complex demographics from high-income whānau to those on jobseeker support is now represented by a wahine Māori who carries her whakapapa on her face and her people in her heart.
Her challenge now is to turn that mana into movement to bring the voices of her electorate into the halls of power and to hold fast to the kaupapa that brought her here.
