Labour's Māori caucus in 2020 soon after the election. Photo / Supplied
OPINION:
The Labour Māori caucus has never been bigger but its power is more latent than exercised.
And with selections for the 2023 election not far, and poll ratings down, nerves are setting in and crucial decisions are looming over who will stand where.
The caucus is co-chaired by Rino Tirikatene and Willow-Jean Prime, but they are titular heads.
Insiders confirm appearances - that the most active and influential member of the caucus is Cabinet minister Willie Jackson.
Kiri Allan has been given fast-track promotion to the Cabinet by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Arena Williams was given a clear path to Parliament with support from Grant Robertson.
And as deputy leader, Kelvin Davis is the most senior.
But as Māori Development Minister and with an activist background, Jackson is the most vocal advocate for Māori initiatives in Labour and has the political skills to work between urban and iwi groups.
Almost alone, the job of promoting Labour's approach to co-governance has fallen to him.
Today, he is marking the 50th anniversary of the te reo Māori petition having been presented to Parliament.
There was a certain amount of suspicion in 2017 when Jackson was announced by then leader Andrew Little as a Labour list candidate and later, campaign director for the Māori vote.
He had previously been an Alliance MP and was thought to have been courted by the Māori Party as well in 2017.
But Labour won all seven Māori seats in 2017 on the first wave of Jacindamania, when Ardern took over the leadership.
Labour retained all but the Waiariki seat in the 2020 wave. However, it expanded the number of Māori MP through victories in general seats, including Kiri Allan in East Coast, Willow-Jean Prime in Northland and Shanan Halbert in Northcote.
The Māori caucus at the 2020 election stood at 15 - although Louisa Wall has since left – making it 23 per cent of the whole Labour caucus and two more than the previous term.
Six are ministers: Kelvin Davis, Nanaia Mahuta, Peeni Henare, Willie Jackson, Kiri Allan, and Meka Whaitiri.
Jackson and Whaitiri chaired the Māori caucus last term. Ardern gave Whaitiri a path back to promotion after sacking her over an altercation with a staffer.
The Māori caucus meets weekly after the general caucus and it is currently advertising for a researcher and communications staff member to ensure it is not eclipsed on the comms front by the ever-present Māori Party.
But the power of the caucus is more latent than anything. This year it proclaimed that it got $1 billion in spending for Māori initiatives.
It does not negotiate as a group with Finance Minister Grant Robertson and it does not threaten. But it does not need to because when you are almost 25 per cent of the caucus, you get noticed.
Adrian Rurawhe
MP for Te Tai Hauauru
EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS: In some ways, Rurawhe has been the most successful of Labour's Māori MPs when comparing expectations to actual success. Unassuming, low-impact MP until propelled into Speaker's job from deputy. Has made an excellent start with sound decisions delivered without fuss. It's debatable whether to include Rurawhe as part of the Māori caucus because as Speaker he will no longer attend general or Māori caucus meetings apart from social occasions, pōwhiri or cultural events.
Started out on the railways, like his father. Former chairman of Ngati Apa, and a great grandson of Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, he was first elected to the western Māori seat in 2014 after former Māori Party co-leader Tariana Turia retired.
Kelvin Davis
MP for Te Tai Tokerau
PEDESTRIAN: Liked and respected for personal qualities but pedestrian as a politician. Possibly more suited to Opposition. His best term was 2014–17 in Opposition when he did exceptionally well in Corrections and was offered the job of deputy leader to Jacinda Ardern. Eschewed Deputy PM job in 2020. Got the new portfolio of Māori-Crown relations in the first term but has been almost invisible in promoting the Government's overall strategy to the public. Former school principal, elected on the list in 2008, not returned in 2011, back in on list in May 2014 then elected as Te Tai Tokerau electorate MP in 2014, 2017 and 2020. Based in Kaitaia.
Nanaia Mahuta
MP for Hauraki-Waikato
DISTRACTED: By far the most politically experienced of the Labour Māori caucus and has earned the most prestigious portfolio of Foreign Affairs. But distracted by Three Waters reforms and a series of stories about public sector contracts awarded to her consultant husband. They have reached such a pitch that she herself should refer the matter to the Public Service Commission or Auditor-General to get an independent opinion and draw a line under it. Tainui aristocracy, she was first elected in 1996 making her Mother of House along with National's Gerry Brownlee as Father of the House as the longest consecutive serving MPs.
Peeni Henare
MP for Tamaki Makaurau
SHELTERED: Primarily valued for his oratory skills as the only native speaker in the Labour caucus, and being steeped in Māoritanga. Presents well in the media, mainstream and Māori, and has had high profile through Defence assistance to Ukraine. A big asset to Labour but has not been tested politically and shows no signs of boldness. Has privately told the party he wants to go list-only in 2023 election but is likely to be persuaded against it. In his third term as MP for Tamaki Makaurau, previously held by Sir Pita Sharples before he retired in 2014. Great grandson of Taurekareka Henare, an MP first elected in 1914, and grandson of Sir James Henare who stood for National many times.
Willie Jackson
List MP
ACTIVE: Unofficial leader of the pack. The leading light of the Māori caucus by being the most active, vocal and strategic of the Māori MPs. A big promotion into Cabinet and with greater responsibilities this term with Māori Development, Broadcasting and Media. Pragmatic dealmaker and the only one actively promoting and defending co-governance. Is making his time in Cabinet count. You'll never die wondering what he thinks.
The former broadcaster was first elected in 1999 for a term as a Mana Motuhake MP in the Alliance, then became Mana Motuhake leader and is now in his second term as a Labour list MP.
Kiri Allan
MP for East Coast
BIG FUTURE: A potential deputy Labour leader in the making if she manages her career. She has been a rising star since first being elected in 2017 and continues to be with her elevation to Cabinet in 2020 and recently to Justice. A firm favourite of Jacinda Ardern. Has a difficult juggling act as leading member of the Govt law and order team responding to issues such as ram-raids without being too populist. A former lawyer, she was first elected in 2017, first as a list MP and to East Coast electorate in 2020 with a majority of 6331.
Meka Whaitiri
MP for Ikaroa-Rawhiti
SOLID: Will forever be remembered for the mini-scandal that caused her ministerial sacking in the first term but has been working away solidly and competently since being reinstated as a minister this term. Trouble is that portfolios of Customs, Food Safety and Veterans offer little opportunity for profile unless things go wrong. Learned from Parekura Horomia how important it was to attend lots of hui in the electorate. Former Deputy Secretary of Labour and former ministerial adviser to Horomia, she was first elected to his seat in 2013 after he died. Her partner at the time, as mentioned in Whaitiri's maiden speech, was Kiri Allan.
Rino Tirikatene
MP for Te Tai Tonga
TREADING WATER: Tirikatene could be in for a long haul in the electorate if you look at how long his grandfather had the seat, 35 years, followed by his aunt, for 29 years. He has been there a mere 11 years after reclaiming it from the Māori Party. He co-chairs the Māori caucus and is under-secretary for Oceans and Fisheries and Trade but is known to be frustrated at not being a minister. It's not looking likely because if Labour is returned next year, it will be with coalition partners. He's gone about as far as he can go. Treading water. Previously a commercial lawyer and executive for Māori enterprises. Grandson of Sir Eruera Tirikatene, the first Ratana MP who was first elected to Southern Māori in 1932 and nephew of Whetu Tirakatene-Sullivan, who was first elected in 1967.
Tamati Coffey
List MP
ADJUSTING: After the Māori Party reclaimed his Waiariki seat in 2020, Coffey has successfully reinvented himself to an issues MP in a similar space vacated by former colleague Louisa Wall. He advocated for the ban on conversion therapy and is championing a bill setting out the rights and obligations of intending parents in surrogacy arrangements, arising from his own experience. He also chairs the Māori Affairs select committee and advocated strongly for voting changes in Rotorua and Canterbury. He must be wondering whether he is the best person to stand in Waiariki again.
A former broadcaster, in 2017 Coffey successfully challenged Labour's 2014 candidate, Rawiri Waititi, for selection and ousted sitting Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, only to be ousted himself in 2020 by Waititi who by then had switched to the Māori Party.
Willow-Jean Prime
MP for Northland
DEPENDABLE: Co-chairs Māori caucus with Rino Tirikatene and is an assistant Labour whip. Is on the Māori affairs and justice select committees. Her stocks are high, having taken Northland from National. She is able and dependable and very much focused on the needs of Northland. Could make a minister outside the Cabinet in a third-term Government but may run out of runway. Has a member's bill in the ballot which would anonymise cases before the Employment Relations Authority. Armed with a first-class honours law degree, she was a community activist and Far North District Councillor before being elected on the list in 2017, then taking Northland from Matt King.
Jo Luxton
MP for Rangitata
DISCIPLINED: Was assisted in pulling off the miracle win in the seat through the pre-election scandal of ex-National MP Andrew Falloon. She chairs the primary production select committee and with a background in early childhood education, teaching and business, is also on the education and workforce committee. First connected with her Māori whakapapa 17 years ago. Has taken the advice given to new MPs – breathe through your nose and don't make waves – to heart for too long.
Was elected as a list MP in 2017 then took the Timaru-based seat of Rangitata in 2020.
Paul Eagle
MP for Rongotai
UNSETTLED: Rongotai voters are entitled to feel disgruntled. Having left his post as a popular deputy mayor of Wellington to inherit the electorate from Annette King, he is now wanting to return to local politics by standing for Wellington's mayoralty. But has a reasonable buffer against any electoral backlash with a majority of more than 19,000 votes. A member of the transport and infrastructure committee. The first Māori man to win a general seat for Labour.
Shanan Halbert
MP for Northcote
DEDICATED: Has been a dedicated and trusted Labour foot soldier for many years, raised his profile in the 2018 byelection, then took Northcote off National in the second Jacinda-wave in 2020. Chairs the transport and infrastructure committee and is a member of the finance and expenditure committee. Has a bill in the members' ballot to allow ministers to give Crown entities a Māori name, other than that in its primary legislation. May be vulnerable at the 2023 election with a 2534 majority.
Arena Williams
MP for Manurewa
AMBITIOUS: If it weren't for the unfortunate circumstances in which predecessor Louisa Wall was de-selected, would likely have made a bigger impact. But has plenty of time, still in her early 30s and has a big majority of over 17,000 votes. Had a tailwind with the patronage of Grant Robertson but is throwing herself into the electorate work. Is known to be highly ambitious. Previously a lawyer and a Labour appointment to the Waitemata District Health Board. Is on the justice committee and is deputy chair of Māori affairs.
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