Election 2023: Labour’s Māori caucus all smiles as six Māori in top 20 and 11 in top 40

Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Labour’s Māori caucus co-chair Willie Jackson was all smiles as Prime Minister Chris Hipkins released the Labour Party list with six Māori ranked in the top 20 and five more in the top 40.

“Six in the top 20 is a great achievement for Māori,” Jackson said.

Included in the the top 20 are Kelvin Davis (2), Jackson (8), Willow-Jean Prime (9) Adrian Rurawhe (11) Peeni Henare (14), and Jo Luxton (19).

Plus add to that list Rino Tirikatene (21), Shannon Halbert (28) Georgie Dansey (31), Tāmati Coffey (36) and Toni Boynton (39), who are also Māori and a number of Māori are well and well and truly positioned to return regardless of the final result.

Labour's Cushla Tangaere-Manuel will stand as a candidate only in Ikaroa Rawhiti and not on the Labour list. Photo / Facebook

Labour’s Ikaroa Rawhiti candidate Cushla Tangaere-Manuel is not on the Labour party list, nor is Nanaia Mahuta, standing as an electorate MP only in the Hauraki-Waikato region. Soraya Peke-Mason is also opted not to go on the list and will stand in Te Tai Hauāuru against Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

Jackson paid tribute to those three wāhine Māori who will either be in a job after October’s election or be looking for work.

“I want to pay tribute to those three who have made the brave decision to stand only in the electorate and I also want to pay respects to Tamati Coffey who has put his hand up to stand in East Coast,” Jackson said.

Coffey comes back into the fold following East Coast MP Kiritapu Allan’s spectacular fall from grace.

Tangarere-Manual, a first-time candidate and a late call-up following the defection of Cabinet Minister Meka Whaitiri to Te Pāti Māori - would have ranked high on the Labour list.

“Cushla would have been a favourite for a higher spot, but made the decision that she wants the seat only. I really admire that. There’s only one way for Cushla to get in, unlike Meka who has a high list placing on Te Pāti Māori list.

“Soraya made a similar decision to Cushla, and Nanaia, well she would have been a definite on a high list placing.

“I mihi to those three for making the brave decision to go list only.”

He said the high numbers were well-recognised support for the work the Māori caucus had done.

“Had we put Cushla and Nanaia and Soraya on the list would have had even more Māori in the top 30.

In 2017, all of Labour’s Māori electorate MPs stayed off the party’s list.

Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining NZME worked for 12 years for Te Whānau o Waipareira.