Election 2023: Housing, health and jobs key to Te Pāti Māori victory in Tāmaki Makaurau

Te Pāti Māori’s Tāmaki Makaurau candidate Takutai Kemp believes the cost of living crisis will be the single biggest issue at this year’s general election.

Kemp is the chief executive of Manurewa Marae and knows her area well. Translating that knowledge of her rohe into votes across the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate is critical to winning the seat.

The electorate reaches from West Auckland out to Takanini, with Labour’s Peeni Henare having held the seat since 2014 and looking to retake it for a fourth term.

Kemp says the big issues all relate to the cost of living and says under the tax plan put forth by Te Pāti Māori, voters in Tāmaki Makaurau will benefit.

“Te Pāti Māori want to put more money back into the pockets of our whānau. Removing GST from all kai, not just fruit and vegetables, we want to provide tax-free on $30,000 or less.”

“The biggest issues in Tāmaki Makaurau are the cost of living, housing, health and education, and jobs.”

Appealing to a wide range of voters

Manurewa Marae, under the leadership of Kemp, became a central point in the fight against Covid-19. It is an experience that she believes helps her in her fight to win the Tāmaki Makaurau seat.

“If we go back to Covid times, it was a time where we really had to engage, change the way we worked with our whānau because our whānau were struggling.”

And those experiences she gained will be important if she is to appeal to a wide range of voters from West Auckland to Takanini in the South.

“All those relationships that you have built up in the community, you’re able to influence and impact the rest of Tāmaki Makaurau because we have wide networks. A lot of our whānau out there know me here in South Auckland, but they also know me in the role of CEO.”

And with under a thousand votes separating Labour and Te Pāti Māori at the last election, name recognition may just get Kemp over the line.

Kemp is from Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngā iwi o Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki.