Te Pati Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The country’s youngest MP – Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke of Te Pāti Māori – has won a major international award for the way she has used her position as a politician to benefit young people.
Maipi-Clarke is one of four recipients globally of the One Young World Politician of the Year award. One Young World is a United Kingdom-based charity that runs an annual awards summit for young leaders.
The award was established in 2018 and recognises the most promising young politicians between the ages of 18 and 35 from around the world.
Maipi-Clarke, the country’s youngest MP since 1853, will travel to Montreal, Canada next week to accept the award.
Far North Mayor Moko Tepania won the award last year. Tepania made history in 2022 when he was elected Far North’s youngest and first Māori mayor.
Maipi-Clarke said she is “very humbled” to be selected as one of the four recipients.
“For me, this is about holding space for future wahine Māori, and Māori rangatahi and hopefully inspiring them to use their Māori magic and aspire to achieve.”
Maipi-Clarke, who is the MP for Hauraki Waikato, said: “Only 2% of politicians are under the age of 30. We risk losing a whole generation, particularly with this government who is consistently attacking our being, from engaging in politics.”
When Maipi-Clarke entered Parliament late last year, she delivered a powerful maiden speech, lambasting the Government for attacking “my whole world from every corner”.
“At 21 years old this was definitely not the plan... but this House kept trampling on things they shouldn’t be touching.”
She dedicated her maiden speech to all the children in her life: “No matter what comes out of this Government, I will make sure our kids hear us. Never fit in, you are the perfect fit.
“To our tamariki [children], your reo [language] is whispering for you. To the tamariki who haven’t been to their pepeha yet, it is waiting for you with open arms.
“To our mokopuna, they can attack me, but I will not let them attack you.”
That was not Maipi-Clarke’s first foray to the site of Parliament however – she had already impressed many with her kōrero at the 50th anniversary of the Māori language petition, delivered by her grand aunty and namesake Hana Te Hemara in 1972.
Maipi-Clarke delivered another moving speech this week as politicians on all sides of the House broke from their usual Parliamentary business to mark the passing of Kīngi Tūheitia.
Maipi-Clarke, who descends from Waikato iwi, told the House the King had “believed in me so much” when she announced she would stand in the last election.
She went on to wrestle Hauraki-Waikato off the mighty Labour stalwart Nanaia Mahuta, who held it since its formation in 2008 and has been an MP since 1996 - a win many put down to inspiring younger voters.
“My most personal experience with you is that you believed in me so much. When we first announced that I was standing as a candidate in the election campaign, people either said that we were crazy, laughed or they felt sorry for me,” Maipi-Clarke told the House.
“A hui was called with the King and I asked, ‘If I get in, what do you want me to do for you and Kīngitanga?’ He softly replied, and said: ‘Just be you’.
“I was privileged enough to have him with us on our election night and he said to me ‘I told you you could do it’.”
At the recent tangi for the Māori King, held as Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia, Maipi-Clarke said she saw “young girls’ eyes light up” as they watched the new Māori Queen Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i to po get anointed.
“I heard a young girl whisper, ‘It’s like watching a real-life Disney movie princess – but better.’”
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.