New Te Pāti Māori Tamaki MP, “Your swearing into Parliament – what was that like?”
On 9 October 2025, Oriini Kaipara was officially sworn in as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tāmaki Makaurau, following her successful win in the recent by-election. This moment marks both a milestone for Te Pāti Māori and a powerful signal of Māori representation gaining renewed momentum in Aotearoa’s Parliament.
Kaipara’s transition from journalist and broadcaster to political leader is a compelling story of values, identity, and public service. She is already well known for her work in broadcasting, her advocacy for Māori language and tikanga, and for her role as a trailblazer: in 2019, she became the first person with a moko kauae (traditional Māori chin tattoo for women) to present mainstream television news. That step was not only symbolic – it spoke to the fusion of Māori heritage and contemporary leadership, and it challenged conventional expectations in media and public life.
Her win in the by-election was decisive: in the Tāmaki Makaurau contest held on 6 September 2025, she secured 65.01 % of the vote, beating Labour’s candidate Peeni Henare by a substantial margin. The seat had opened following the passing of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp.
During her formal induction, Kaipara took the Oath of Allegiance in the House, placing her firmly in the national legislative body. Her subsequent maiden speech was both personal and political, oriented toward a vision of Aotearoa free from racism, inequality, and disconnection. She invoked significant moments in Māori history – including the 1975 Māori Land March, the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal, and the first Māori Language Week – as touchstones for resilience and ongoing struggle.
She described her own journey and the generational “ache of disconnection” caused by suppression of te reo and Māori identity. Her resolve was clear: to lift te reo Māori, to bring Māori voices into national discourse, and to reimagine a future (Aotearoa hou) where growth and forward momentum define the nation.
Kaipara’s swearing-in was not without controversy. After her speech, a waiata (song) was performed – as is often customary in Māori ceremonial protocols. However, the event’s atmosphere escalated when many members of the public gallery broke into a haka, a powerful moment of support but one that had not been sanctioned by the House.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee intervened, calling the haka “contemptuous” and temporarily suspending proceedings. He has since announced an investigation into whether any political party had organised or coordinated the haka.
The rules of Parliament require prior permission for haka or waiata from the public gallery; having not followed that protocol, the action has become a point of contention.
While some saw the interruption as a breach of parliamentary process, others interpreted it as an expression of Māori presence – of mana, support, and emotional urgency in a moment of political transition.
Oriini Kaipara’s arrival in Parliament carries deep symbolic weight, especially for Māori aspirations. Her worldview, grounded in whakapapa, te reo, and tikanga, now has a formal platform from which to push for structural change. In her maiden speech, she made it clear that she sees her role not as opposition only, but as advocacy – a voice to “take te reo Māori me ōna tikanga to the world and into [her] political journey.”
Her presence amplifies several themes in New Zealand politics:
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Representation and visibility: Having someone with her lived experience in the House sends a message about the inclusiveness of political institutions.
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Cultural affirmation: The moko kauae – long symbolic of Māori womanhood, status, and identity – now sits in the national political chamber, reminding all that culture and governance are not separate.
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Expectations of delivery: With such symbolic capital comes pressure. Communities, whānau, and supporters will watch closely what tangible outcomes arise from her advocacy: in housing, education, health, justice, and especially in revitalisation of te reo Māori.
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Navigating bicultural protocols: The haka incident underscores the tension between tikanga (Māori cultural practices) and parliamentary rules. How Kaipara and her colleagues manage that balance will be telling for Māori-Crown relations and for evolving parliamentary norms.
Her journey is only just beginning. While her faith in te reo, Māori resurgence, and political possibility is evident, the challenge now is sustaining momentum, forging alliances, delivering on aspirations, and continuing to open space in what has often been a Pākehā-dominated realm.
In Oriini Kaipara, many see more than a politician. They see a bridge – between te ao Māori and the halls of power, between history and future, between identity and policy. Her swearing-in was more than procedural; it was a moment of renewal, expectation, and possibility for Aotearoa.
