Election 2023: Labour and Te Pāti Māori candidates out in front in Te Tai Hauāuru

Whanganui is close to the middle of the electorate, which stretches from Kāwhia in the north to Porirua in the south. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Te Tai Hauāuru Māori electorate seat is being hotly contested this election, with the two frontrunners neck-and-neck.

Last month, a Curia poll of 500 registered voters showed Labour’s Soraya Peke-Mason at 34 per cent support and Te Pāti Māori’s Debbie Ngarewa-Packer at 29 per cent.

Ngarewa-Packer said she and fellow party co-leader Rawiri Waititi were overwhelmed by the invitations and support they had received so far on the campaign.

“Yesterday I had a Q&A with about 50 kaumātua from Porirua, then you‘re at a big gig with 300 rangatahi.

“If you really love meeting and listening and seeing what people are up to, it’s a privileged time to be in.”

Half the Māori population in the electorate was earning less than $30,000 per year, she said.

Te Tai Hauāuru stretches from Kāwhia in the north to Porirua in the south.

Te Pāti Māori’s Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“A real emphasis for us is whānau wellbeing and the wellbeing of our environment.

“Our tax policy will positively impact 98 per cent of the population, but target that 2 per cent who own 50 per cent of the wealth.”

Labour scooped 59.14 per cent of the electorate’s party votes in 2020 compared to Te Pāti Māori’s 15.13 per cent.

Labour’s 2023 candidate for Te Tai Hauāuru‚ Peke-Mason, said the party’s policies had to resonate with people on the ground and, in her view, they were.

“We are no different to any other country in the world in terms of inflation and the cost of living.

“It’s about having a dry, warm roof over your head and food in your puku - the fundamental basics.

“We know that people are struggling, and it‘s no different in Te Tai Hauāuru.”

Labour had plans in place to help alleviate those issues and it was important to remind the electorate of that, she said.

“There is still very strong support for Labour [in Te Tai Hauāuru], and that is historical for a lot of people.”

Labour's Soraya Peke-Mason. Photo / Mike Scott

The seat is currently held by Labour’s Adrian Rurawhe, but he is now on the party list.

The Curia poll had National’s Harete Hipango on 12 per cent support, while Vision New Zealand’s Paris Winiata, a new addition to the race, didn’t have a showing.

Hipango was MP for Whanganui from 2017 to 2020 but lost to Labour’s Steph Lewis at the last election.

She said many people were on “struggle street” as a result of the cost of living.

“There is a lot of talk of co-governance and where the Treaty [of Waitangi] is positioned in the relationship between Crown and Māori, but the reality is people are struggling at home to get kai on the table.

“That’s the big issue.”

There were jobs to be had, and it was important to encourage people to make a shift from the dependency of welfare, she said.

“Yes, there is the material hardship of poverty, but there is the poverty of spirit.

“It’s about shifting the attitude - getting people off welfare and back into work. That’s where the gains will be.”

National's Harete Hipango. Photo / Bevan Conley

Ngarewa-Packer said while their politics were different, she knew Hipango and Peke-Mason as “wāhine on the ground”.

“What is really beautiful is the likes of Soraya and I both whakapapa to Rātana.

“I have attachments in Whanganui and whakapapa into Parihaka in Taranaki, obviously. We are all connected to very similar kaupapas.”

Peke-Mason is currently a list MP but won’t be on the list next term.

She said she expected a close result, and while she was ahead in early polling, the only votes that counted would be on October 14.

“I’m happy with where we’ve come from, what we’ve done and what we’re going to do up until then.

“Then, it’s in the hands of the people.”

Winiata could not be reached for comment.

Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.