Christopher Luxon holds post-Cabinet press conference
The byelection to determine the new MP for Tāmaki Makaurau will be held on September 6.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the date at his post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon.
A byelection in the Auckland Māori seat was prompted by the death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai TarshKemp last month, who had been battling kidney disease.
It appears it will be a two-horse race between well-known broadcaster Oriini Kaipara for Te Pāti Māori and Labour’s Peeni Henare, who held the seat for nine years until 2023 when Kemp won the seat by a slim 42 votes.
Voting during byelections is open for about two weeks for people already enrolled in the electorate.
Labour MPs, from left, Arena Williams, Carmel Sepuloni, Peeni Henare and Willie Jackson pay tribute to Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National, Act and New Zealand First will not stand a candidate in the byelection. The Green Party has also confirmed it also would not contest Tāmaki Makaurau, despite co-leader Marama Davidson running in 2014, 2017 and 2020.
In a statement, Davidson said the party’s decision reflected a “combination of factors, most pertinently, the responsible use of our resources at this time”.
The Herald understood the party’s decision not to run had also been informed by Davidson’s value working with the caucus ahead of next year’s election and her return from a fight with breast cancer.
Te Pāti Māori last week announced former Newshub anchor Oriini Kaipara (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Rangitihi) as its candidate vying to hold Tāmaki Makaurau.
In a media stand-up alongside her party co-leaders broadcast on social media, Kaipara revealed she had voted for Henare in the past.
Kaipara said she was “not ashamed” to admit it, referencing how electoral boundaries had prevented her from voting for others.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, standing at her shoulder, was quick to clarify: “She won’t make that mistake again”.
Saying there was “no other choice” for her than Te Pāti Māori, Kaipara was reluctant to state why voters should support her.
“I’m not here to tell them to give [their vote] to me, I’m not here to force anybody to give it to me because I’m the new person.”
But in an interview with The Hui, Kaipara suggested voters could be seeking fresh representation.
“They’ve had Peeni Henare in the past, they haven’t had Oriini Kaipara.”
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.
