Election 2023: Pare Taikato picked as Labour’s Bay of Plenty candidate

Pare Taikato in front of kete woven by Matekino Lawless at a celebration on the 125th anniversary of Māori women being able to vote in 2018. Photo / NZME

Horticulturalist and trust director Pare Taikato has been selected as the Labour Party’s Bay of Plenty candidate in the upcoming election.

Taikato, of Tauranga Moana, was confirmed as the candidate in a statement by the party this morning.

Taikato, who also formerly worked as a tally clerk at the Port of Tauranga and in local electorate offices, said in the statement she was humbled and honoured to have been chosen.

“I am wholeheartedly committed to the prosperity and wellbeing of the Bay and its people, just as generations of my ancestors have been before me,” Taikato said.

“I’ll be a strong advocate and voice for our electorate in Parliament. The Bay of Plenty has so much to offer and I will be a champion for all of the communities that make the Bay of Plenty such a great place to live and work.”

She is a director, chair and trustee of several Māori land trusts including Matakana Berry LP, Ongare, Ranginui No 12 and Poripori Farm A, whose collective portfolios include kiwifruit, avocado, blueberry and agri-business in the region.

Taikato said in the statement she is a hard worker and wanted to ensure everyone who worked hard in the local community could get ahead and improve their lives.

“Throughout my life, I have seen the power of communities who work together to create positive change in order for our region to continue to thrive. That is the approach I will bring in advocating for the Bay of Plenty in Parliament.”

She said she would be a strong voice for people in the region.

Taikato told the Bay of Plenty Times putting herself forward as a candidate was a move she had considered before.

“It became more serious when [Bay-based Labour List MP] Angie Warren-Clark announced recently that she was looking to move back to her roots in Northland.”

Warren-Clark announced last month she would stand in Whangārei for the October election.

“Then the possibility became a reality and an opportunity. I see it as a chance to exercise my leadership skills,” Taikato said

Taikato said there was also an “element of legacy” in her motivations for accepting the challenge.

“My grand uncle Paraone Reweti was MP in the time of the Norman Kirk government,” Taikato said.

“This is about asking ourselves, ‘What do we leave behind for our future generations?’.”

Taikato said the community needed to lead the decisions about the priorities for the future.

“I think a response to how we manage climate change moving forward would be important.”

Taikato said infrastructure and the need to acquire and access land for housing were also key.

“Housing and infrastructure go hand in hand.”

Taikato said she also shared the Labour Party’s focus on addressing the “bread and butter” issues such as the costs of living and “getting money into people’s pockets”.

Taikato graduated from Waikato University with a Masters in Social Science.

She also spent several years living and teaching English as a second language in Japan.

The National Party’s Todd Muller, who has been MP of the Bay of Plenty electorate since the 2014 election, announced his retirement from politics in March.

National has not yet selected its candidate to contest the Bay of Plenty seat.