Tāmaki Makaurau: Meet two candidates vying for the smallest Māori seat

Three candidates are vying for the mandate to represent the smallest Māori electorate in land area: Tāmaki Makaurau.

Stretching across Auckland from Piha in the west to Waiheke Island in the east, and through central, south and east Auckland – this is an urban electorate home to several iwi and hapū.

In 2023, Te Pāti Māori candidate Takutai Tarsh Kemp unseated Labour MP Peeni Henare in one of the closest contests of the election. She won by just 42 votes.

But two years later a by-election was triggered following her shock death.

Former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara returned the seat to Te Pāti Māori with a majority of 3,519 votes over Henare.

This year, Kaipara is joined by Labour’s Kerrin Leoni and Green Party candidate Florence Te Ohaere in the race for the seat.

But while Kaipara and Leoni appeared in the live debate on TVNZ’s Marae on Sunday, Te Ohaere declined, a Green Party spokesperson saying she was focused on an on-the-ground campaign.

Watch Marae's live debate followed by analysis on TVNZ+

Te Pāti Māori announced their party list on the day of Marae’s debate with Lance Norman, the party's general secretary, as the only name on it.

Kaipara (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangitihi) said she did not want to go on the list but rather wanted to contest the seat with integrity. She said there was no reason to be shocked about the party’s announcement.

“We have been very open about our strategy which is the one candidate. We want one-tick, candidate vote, for the person that we've put up as Te Pati Māori in each of the seven Māori electorates.”

She said Te Pāti Māori wanted to create an overhang and was focused on three things: changing the government; getting more Māori MPs into Parliament; and ensuring an “authentic, uncompromised, unwavering” Māori voice for the electorate.

Leoni (Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāti Kuri), who is campaigning for two-ticks, pointed out that there is currently an overhang in Parliament which has not “worked out” for Māori.

The cost of living has been a key priority across the board in the run up to this election. For the two candidates it is no different.

“Our whānau are hurting,” said Leoni. “They cannot afford to put kai on the table, they cannot afford to pay their electricity bill. And I'm not just talking about whānau that are at the low level, we're talking about whānau who are on $100,000 a year who cannot afford the basics right now under this government.”

Kaipara said Te Pāti Māori aims to address the cost of living through their tax transformation policy by taking tax off the first $30,000 earned, which benefits 97% of all people – not just Māori.

“All our policies have been designed by Māori for Māori to Māori, and it really does give weight to, and rise to, the fact that what's good for Māori is good for all of Aotearoa.”

She said takatāpui (queer communities), hunga whai kaha (disabled communities) and rangatahi (young people) were also “suffering” and that there was a lot to achieve.

Te Pāti Māori’s tax strategy is to tax the super-rich to fund health, housing, and social initiatives.

“Our tax plan is not just about putting more money into our pockets, that's the priority, [but] it's about ensuring that the wealthy few pay their fair share and they have gotten away with too much.”

Tāmaki Makaurau is home to several iwi and hapū with Auckland Council recognising 19 tribal authorities. Consequently, there are several complex and overlapping treaty settlement claims across the electorate.

Candidates were asked how they planned to work with mana whenua to resolve differences over shared interests.

Leoni acknowledged the matter was contentious, but she had experience working with mana whenua as an Auckland ward councillor and a representative for mana whenua – her iwi of Ngāti Pāoa.

“I think that's the key going forward, is to make sure we work through that overlap and have the right person that has those good relationships that can actually get outcomes for our people.”

Kaipara said she established “very strong” relationships with all mana whenua groups during her by-election run last year. However, she said, the common denominator for those involved is around Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“The alarming rate that the government has erased or eroded the meaning of Te Tiriti in legislation and the impact that that's going to have on a lot of their treaty settlements.”

Mana whenua such as Marutūāhu, Ngāti Whātua, and Te Waiōhua have undertaken housing developments in Auckland to provide affordable housing for descendants.

Leoni said the Labour Party has a policy to commit $2.9 billion towards Kāinga Ora housing if they get into government.

“We've costed that all out and we will be working with mana whenua to make sure that we work with them to build more whare right across Tāmaki Makaurau.”

Kaipara said a part of their housing policy is ensuring 50% of all new public housing builds are ring-fenced for Māori due to Māori making up the majority of the waiting list.

“There's no more emergency housing to catch those who are homeless at the moment, we're just moving them on, round and round in circles, creating more deprivation, punching down on the pōhara instead of creating real viable solutions.”

Leoni challenged Kaipara on how Te Pāti Māori would deliver on their promises with "only four seats" in Parliament. Kaipara pointed out that she did not say they would – “that’s why we’re talking coalitions talks” – and their job as Tāmaki Makaurau candidates were to advocate for their electorate.

The two were asked what needed to be done to future-proof Tāmaki Makaurau for Māori.

Leoni said strong advocacy was important. She said as a ward councillor she was able to increase more than $2 million for the Māori outcomes portfolio, even when Labour did not have the numbers at local government level.

“You have to have those skills to be able to negotiate and work with either government as an MP, that’s supporting and being a strong voice for Tamaki Makaurau Māori.”

Kaipara said Te Tiriti o Waitangi is “absolutely” non-negotiable for her and the party.

“We're at a turning point, the changing of the tides,” she said.

“Mātou te whakareanga o nāianei e tika ana kia ara ake ki te arataki. Koirā te hiahia a ngā kaumatua i te wā i whakatōngia te kōhanga reo, te kura kaupapa, ngā wharekura, te ao reo Māori.

("Those of us of this generation, it’s only right that we rise to lead. That’s what our grandparents wanted when they established kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa and wharekura – our world of te reo Māori.")

“E turakina ana ngā whare kōrero o tō tātou whenua, nō reira ko tāku he āki kia pūmau te Tiriti i te mea kua ngahoro.”

("Our language and cultural spaces are being destroyed, so my job is to advocate for Te Tiriti because its influence has been destroyed.")

For Leoni, the cost of living is her bottom line.

“Right now, Māori are suffering the most in terms of cost of living for our whānau. We are going to deliver by making sure we don't increase the taxes for petrol, the cost of petrol for the next three years.”

She continued to list Labour’s campaign policies including three free doctor's visits, free scans for pregnant women, trades training scheme for Māori. She said more contracts for Māori in the construction sector were needed and under a Labour government they had a 8% procurement policy to ensure Māori were involved in “huge contracts” building the city.

“That's what we need to continue to do.”