With Aotearoa heading towards the November 7 general election, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi is placing tino rangatiratanga, Te Tiriti justice and greater Māori decision-making power at the centre of his political agenda.
The Waiariki MP has become one of Parliament’s most prominent advocates for Māori self-determination, arguing that meaningful change requires more than consultation with Māori communities.
For Waititi, the focus is on ensuring iwi, hapū and whānau have greater authority over the decisions, resources and institutions that shape their futures.
His political approach brings together constitutional reform, economic opportunity, Māori health, housing, education and the protection of whenua and wai.
From Waiariki to Parliament
First elected in 2020, Waititi reclaimed the Waiariki electorate for Te Pāti Māori and subsequently became party co-leader.
His background includes community leadership, kaupapa Māori initiatives and involvement in Whānau Ora approaches to improving social wellbeing.
Waititi has maintained that addressing longstanding disparities requires services and policies that recognise the realities of Māori communities rather than relying exclusively on centrally designed government programmes.
That approach has shaped his advocacy across health, education, justice, housing and social development.
As a representative of Waiariki, he has also emphasised the importance of local leadership and the relationship between Māori communities, their whenua and their cultural identity.
Te Tiriti and Constitutional Transformation
A major focus of Waititi’s political work has been the protection and implementation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Te Pāti Māori has proposed a constitutional reform programme aimed at strengthening Crown accountability and supporting Māori-led discussions about the country’s constitutional future.
Its recently announced Te Tiriti Entrenchment Policy includes proposals for an independent Te Tiriti Commission, enforceable Crown obligations and binding Waitangi Tribunal recommendations.
The party has also proposed a $220 million Mātike Mai Fund over four years to support Māori-led constitutional discussions, alongside a longer-term target of constitutional transformation by 2040.
Waititi argues that the Crown’s responsibilities under Te Tiriti should not depend solely on the priorities of whichever government holds office.
These proposals remain party policies rather than enacted law and would require significant legislative and institutional changes.
They also sit within a wider national debate about constitutional arrangements, democratic accountability and the relationship between Māori and the Crown.
Whānau Wellbeing and Economic Opportunity
Beyond constitutional issues, Waititi has placed considerable emphasis on the economic and social pressures facing Māori households.
Housing affordability, healthcare access, employment, education and the rising cost of living remain important issues across the Māori electorates.
Te Pāti Māori has advocated for greater investment in kaupapa Māori services and stronger Māori participation in economic decision-making.
The party argues that locally designed and Māori-led programmes can better reflect the needs of communities, particularly where mainstream services have struggled to achieve equitable outcomes.
For Waititi, the relationship between economic wellbeing and tino rangatiratanga is an important part of the discussion.
The question is not simply how much funding Māori communities receive, but also who determines how that funding is used and how success is measured.
Waiariki Contest Draws Attention
Waititi’s own electorate has become an important focus of the election campaign.
An October Whakaata Māori–Curia poll recorded 42 percent support for Waititi in the Waiariki electorate vote, compared with 16 percent for Green Party candidate Tania Waikato and 14 percent for Labour candidate Toni Boynton.
The same poll showed a considerably closer contest for the party vote, with Labour, Te Pāti Māori and the Greens recording 24, 23 and 21 percent respectively.
Those figures reflect voter preferences during the polling period, with undecided voters and actual election turnout still to be determined.
The results highlight the distinction between support for individual electorate candidates and the wider contest for party votes.
A Debate About the Future of Māori Representation
As the election approaches, Waititi’s political message continues to focus on the place of Māori leadership in national decision-making.
His advocacy has also contributed to wider debate about the responsibilities of Parliament, the role of Te Tiriti and how Māori aspirations should be reflected in government policy.
Other political parties offer different approaches to Treaty obligations, public service delivery, economic development and constitutional reform.
For voters, those differences raise substantive questions about the future direction of Aotearoa and the institutions that serve its communities.
With election day approaching, Rawiri Waititi and Te Pāti Māori are putting forward a programme centred on tino rangatiratanga, Māori-led solutions and stronger Crown accountability under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The decisions voters make on November 7 will help determine how those competing policy approaches are represented in the next Parliament.
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