After Labour’s crushing defeat in the Māori electorates, including the loss of a political veteran, a new generation of Māori politicians are set to enter Parliament.
Three of the seven Māori electorates held by Labour have been claimed by Te Pāti Māori, including Nanaia Mahuta’s Hauraki-Waikato seat of 15 years.
Her successor is Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, who told 1News her victory was "so overwhelming".
"Winning this seat is not about me at all," she said, "it’s about the generation to come, and it’s about giving everything that we have."
At 21 years old, she is the youngest MP in 170 years, and the first to unseat Mahuta in her 27-year tenure – the longest run of any female MP in Parliament.
"I've led some controversial reforms but no one will ever accuse me of sitting on my hands when I had the chance to lead change," Mahuta said.
Maipi-Clarke said she was "really heartbroken" after receiving a call from Mahuta congratulating her on her win.
"I did want us to both be in there," Maipi-Clarke said.
Also among the old guard overwhelmed by a new wave of Māori politicians was Te Pāti Māori’s Meka Whaitiri, who called it early last night in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.
Whaitiri, who defected from Labour, was defeated by her old party.
"People have told me they want someone who's going to show up, listen and follow through," she said.
But it remained an extraordinary night for Te Pāti Māori, after flipping three of the seven Māori seats from Labour and retaining Waiariki.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said she "woke up and thought 'is this for real?'"
The party co-leader is gearing up for the next three years in the halls of power after a landslide victory in Te Tai Hauāuru.
While Labour is comfortably ahead in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau with special votes to come, it's clear the party's Māori caucus is hurting.
"It's confronting, but I'm happy at least that we stood up in front of the tide," Labour's Tāmaki Makaurau MP-elect, Peeni Henare, said.
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