Te Pāti Māori surge to four electorates could result in Parliament overhang; 21-year-old to become MP

By Michael Neilson and Nicholas Jones

NZ Herald·

14 Oct, 2023 10:17 AM3 mins to read

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There is major change in the Māori electorates as Te Pāti Māori candidates pull off upsets - which could create an overhang in Parliament.

Co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi have received strong majorities in their respective electorates, Te Tai Hauāuru and Waiariki.

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the party’s 21-year-old candidate, has won Hauraki-Waikato, ahead of incumbent Labour stalwart and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who has held the seat since 2008.

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Mahuta conceded due to Maipi-Clarke’s lead (8825 votes to Mahuta’s 7459), ending her Parliamentary career.

There is also a major upset in Te Tai Tonga, with Tākuta Ferris (9426 votes) in front of Rino Tirikatene (7963) of Labour.

In Te Tai Tokerau, Labour’s Kelvin Davis has 7792 preliminary votes, to Mariameno Kapa-Kingi ‘s 7305 votes.

In Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Pāti Māori candidate Takutai Moana Kemp is a close second to the incumbent, Labour’s Peeni Henare, with 495 votes between them.

The results are preliminary only - special votes are yet to be counted.

Meka Whaitiri, who defected from Labour to stand for Te Pāti Māori in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, is out of Parliament - she is trailing Labour’s Cushla Tangaere-Manuel.

In the party vote, Te Pāti Māori got 2.61 per cent - much higher than the 1.2 per cent they received in 2020. Final results are yet to be confirmed.

Waititi said he was “really elated” with the results.

“What it tells us that our people have turned up, they have used MMP really, really well.

“Our people are on the move.”

National leader Christopher Luxon has previously ruled out working with Te Pāti Māori, saying while National had worked with the party under John Key the current party was much different and there was no “philosophical alignment”.

However, Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere says they will answer the phone if National changes its mind, and there was potential to work out an arrangement.

“We’re obliged to go back to our people after the votes have crystallised and then make a determination shortly after that.”

Earlier, Tamihere called for an immediate investigation into the Electoral Commission, saying a number of issues affected Māori being able to successfully vote.

“Early voting at places like Manurewa Marae and Hoani Waititi Marae started well but the commission failed to provide enough forms and were slow to replenish. During the official period whānau who went through the process of switching from the General Roll to the Māori roll have arrived to discover they are still on the general roll,” Tamihere said.

“The system is prejudiced against us with only one Māori voting book at each polling booth meaning our people are standing in long queues, discouraged while watching non-Māori vote with ease.”