New Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP brings flax roots experience to new roles in Opposition

MPs were sworn in yesterday morning. Labour MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti Cushla Tangaere-Manuel will not give her maiden speech until the new year. Picture supplied

The storm-ravaged East Coast is home for MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, so she is well suited to her new portfolios.

The newly-elected MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is Labour’s spokesperson for tourism and hospitality, forestry and cyclone recovery.

Ms Tangaere-Manuel told the Herald that cyclone recovery and slash were recurring issues during the election and there were “people indicating a desire for me to have those portfolios”.

“I have some knowledge of those issues being critical to our area.

“I was cut off, I live in a small area and got involved in civil defence.”

She was also offered tourism.

“I grabbed it with two hands.

“It’s opportunity-based while the other two require a lot of work.”

She met Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell in Gisborne last week and has a commitment for the two of them to work together.

“It was reassuring to hear I will be included in briefings.”

Ms Tangaere-Manuel is Labour’s sole remaining Maori electorate MP after Te Pāti Māori stormed to victory in the other six electorates.

She said she was grateful for the support of the East Coast but that support for her was even-handed throughout the large electorate which extends as far south as Hutt Valley and Wainuiomata.

“People see the seat and they still see Parekura Horomia's (former Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP and Maori Affairs Minister) legacy.

Ms Tangaere-Manuel traversed the electorate four times in three months during the election, but said whakapapa was also important.

People might not know about her previous careers, but they knew her family.

“Don’t discount whakapapa.”

The new MP is Ngati Porou. She was born in Te Puia Springs and raised in Tikitiki. She went to school at Ngata Memorial College, where she was head girl.  She lives in Rangitukia.

Ms Tangaere-Manuel has requested that she not deliver her maiden speech until the new year.

She says it is a logistical matter with friends and family wanting accommodation and planning to make the “massive trek to Wellington”.

In her speech she will honour her parents for their role in “showing what a servant for the community looks like”.

She is looking for a Wellington apartment knowing she will be in the capital for 30 weeks a year.

That makes it difficult for her to perform her electorate responsibilities in such a large seat.

“But that’s the job.”

So far she has only seen a photograph of her parliamentary office and does not yet know where she will be sitting in the debating chamber.

She has only praise for Parliamentary Services in inducting new MPs together from all parties which helps build new relationships.

But there will always be political differences.

The new National-led Government has announced policies for their Franklin Roosevelt -inspired “first 100 days”.

Ms Tangaere-Manuel said, “someone said to me ‘we’re going back a century’.

“I would like to have built on amazing achievements we had in Maori housing and targeted Maori investment.

“Now we have to scrap to maintain what we have.”