Former Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Meka Whaitiri has been elected chair of Gisborne-based Te Runanga O Turanganui A Kiwa. Photo / James Pocock
Former Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Meka Whaitiri says serving the community is her motivation in her new role as chair of Gisborne-based Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui a Kiwa.
This election year is the first in four election cycles she will be an observer rather than a participant, but that has not made her workload any lighter.
Whaitiri has been based in Gisborne since her defeat to Labour MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat in the 2023 election.
Since then, she has been running a consultancy firm, coaching netball and sitting on a range of boards, including the Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union.
She was nominated by her iwi trust, Rongowhakaata, and was elected to the Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui a Kiwa (Trotak) board chair position in the first meeting of the year.
Trotak represents the interests of three Tūranga iwi - Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and Te Aitanga a Māhaki.
Its stated purpose is “to promote, pursue and advance the cultural, economic, spiritual, social wellbeing and prosperity of iwi”.
It has a focus on delivering social services which cover school attendance, education, health, justice and more.
“There are so many other boards that I am on, but I am really stoked to be on the rūnanga one because I just 100% believe in the rūnanga,” Whaitiri said.
When asked how she intended to balance her responsibilities as a member of multiple boards, she said she would “read the papers”.
“Get a handle on the strategic purpose of the organisation, you’ve got to really understand what its purpose is, and then you have to obviously have an ability to work with your key manager, which is the [chief executive].
“Also with your board members because we are made up of three iwi, getting over the detail, what’s important for Māhaki, what’s important for Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, what’s important for Rongowhakaata. So we are coming unified when we are coming around the board.”
Whaitiri said her priority was to “let people know we are open to do business”.
“That is the first thing - to be visible and present in a region we share with so many others.”
She said one of the big things facing the rūnanga this year as a social service provider was the possibility that the central Government’s Social Investment Agency would introduce regional commissioning.
“That would be a game-changer, if we were able to get a commission arrangement here in Tairāwhiti because [there is] a lot of investment from central Government through agencies and the multiple providers that they fund.
“Bringing that resource closer to the people that the services are for, I think is a great thing. The reality is, will it happen in an election year?”
She was adamant it was up to entities to do the mahi they could do themselves, rather than leave things up to central Government decision making.
“Never think central Government has all the answers to your life. Work with them, 100%, but don’t leave them to make decisions.
“Of course I am interested in who is going to be in the government, but more important for the rūnanga is that we are ready, we’re delivering, we’re accountable, so that whoever comes into government we can host them and proudly put our record out.”
When asked if there was a political party she would individually endorse this election, Whaitiri was direct.
“No, they’re all terrible.”
She described her relationship with the current local MPs more positively.
“Good. One, because first and foremost, they are local people and even though I don’t agree with all of their party policies, I enjoy them as people, and I respect the fact that they put their hand up to represent this region. So nothing but respect for all of them, for Cushla, for Dana (Kirkpatrick, East Coast MP) because it is not easy.”
She said she didn’t miss political life.
“Who wants to be in Parliament at the moment? Some of the crazy stuff that is going on.”
She was now looking at how to grow the rūnanga.
“Growth for me is with the three iwi and leaning into what their aspirations are, medium to long term. Is there anything that the rūnanga is better placed to deliver?
“Each iwi has their own mana and if they want to go that way then it is up to them. But it is also about saying: ‘Hey, this is what the rūnanga is doing.’
“The rūnanga is only for social services, so that frees up the other iwi to go commercial. It’s up to them how much they want to lean into social services or send them over to the rūnanga.
“I’m of the view that the rūnanga has been doing it for 40 years. They’re probably well-versed and they have the skills and the expertise to deliver on social services, so it is just getting the balance right on the rūnanga delivering social services and the iwi doing what they want to do independently.”
Whaitiri remains “very much involved” with local netball, coaching for Manutūkē Primary School last year and for YMP the year before.
“With the vacancies coming up for the board of Netball New Zealand, I am seriously contemplating throwing my name in the hat. Again, it is just because I love netball.
“I could just sit at home and do nothing, but that wasn’t going to work.
“It is an honour to be asked to be on these boards and to be elected on them; it just means you have to lean into the boards you are on and try to do your very best.”