Labour has selected Cushla Tangaere-Manuel to contest the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate in what will be one of the most highly-anticipated battles in the Māori seats at this year's election.
Tangaere-Manuel is well known in Māori broadcasting and has been heavily involved at the East Coast rugby union.
She was also chair of the Heartland Secretariat in 2021 and was named as the Māori rugby programme manager at NZ Rugby.
“I am honoured to be confirmed as the candidate for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti in a new page in my career,” Tangaere-Manual said.
“Above all, running in this election is about serving our people. Ikaroa Rawhiti deserve to have a strong candidate in order to deliver much needed resources especially as we recover from Cyclone Gabrielle."
It's announced Cushla Tangaere-Manuel as its candidate for Māori seat Ikaroa-Rāwhiti. (Source: 1News)
Labour's Māori election chair Willie Jackson said the party is excited to have her join the team.
“Cushla is highly regarded, well respected and brings a lot of experience as a candidate, having served as the CEO of the mighty sky blue Ngati Porou East Coast (NPEC) rugby union, the only iwi-based team, for nine years,” Jackson said.
Tangaere-Manuel will go up against the incumbent MP Meka Whaitiri, who shocked those in Labour when she quit the party.
She will be standing for Te Pāti Māori.
“Cushla is a strong wahine toa and certainly no pushover. On her watch at NPEC she turned the club around both on the field and off, from being in overdraft to annual surpluses, a new headquarters built and growing the number of representative teams,” Jackson said.
Whaitiri left her role as a minister outside Cabinet and told TVNZ Breakfast at the time that it was a calling from within.
"I didn't feel I was heard [in Labour]. I've now joined the party where I know my voice, and those I represent will be heard," Whaitiri said.
Jackson says while the contest may be close he is hoping voters penalise the defected MP.
"I hope voters will punish Meka Whaitiri in that electorate because that is a Labour Party seat," he said.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I think it's going to be a real tight contest but I hope that members remember who they've been with all these years."
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