Former Māori Party leader Dame Tariana Turia supports National candidate in Māori electorate

Dame Tariana Turia (left) with National Party leader Christopher Luxon and National's Te Tai Hauāuru candidate Harete Hipango. Photo / Supplied

Dame Tariana Turia, the co-founder and former leader of Te Pāti Māori, is backing National’s candidate in the Māori electorate she held for almost a decade.

Turia maintains she still supports Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, tipped as the frontrunner in the seat, but the former minister is confident National’s Harete Hipango would be a good advocate for whānau in Te Tai Hauāuru.

Hipango, the MP for Whanganui from 2017 to 2020, was selected as National’s candidate in April and in doing so, was the first party member to run in a Māori electorate since 2002.

Hipango and Turia attended a fundraising event for National’s Whanganui candidate Carl Bates last night. Turia also met National leader Christopher Luxon for the first time.

Speaking to the Herald, Turia explained her decision to support Hipango.

“Well, number one; she is related to me and I think she’s a very fine person. Yes, I trust her.

“I’m not saying that I don’t support Debbie but I will support Harete, she’s a relative of mine and I very much want to support her.

“I do know both of them really well and I just made an absolute decision to be there for Harete.”

National's Harete Hipango will contest the Māori electorate in the coming election. Photo / Bevan Conley.

Turia said she hadn’t spoken to Ngarewa-Packer about the matter, but didn’t think many Whanganui locals would be surprised.

“I haven’t seen Debbie and I don’t really owe her an explanation about what I choose to do actually.

“I still support Te Pāti Māori, of course I do, but that doesn’t mean to say I can’t support somebody else’s aspirations to be in Parliament.

“I don’t expect anybody here in Whanganui to be surprised.”

She said she didn’t have much to do with Te Pāti Māori currently, but not for any particular reason.

Turia said she would be open to helping Hipango’s campaign win Te Tai Hauāuru.

“I think where I can be available to her, I will be. That’s all I can say about that.”

Speaker of the House Adrian Rurawhe, who won the seat in 2020, had previously announced he would be seeking re-election as a list MP. Soraya Peke-Mason was later chosen as the party’s candidate.

Asked for her thoughts on Peke-Mason, Turia - who left Labour in 2004 over the foreshore and seabed legislation - said it was hard to comment, given she felt it wasn’t appropriate to do so.

New Labour MP Soraya Peke-Mason used her maiden speech to laud Three Waters and push for more water reform. Photo / Mark Mitchell

On her first meeting with Luxon, Turia said he was “very pleasant, easy to talk to”, but noted she didn’t know him as well as former leaders such as Sir John Key and Sir Bill English.

With the election fast approaching, Turia urged politicians to remember the need to maintain relationships.

“We should never allow politics to divide our relationships.

“I would like to think that, despite the political divide, I think you can build really strong trust in relationships.”

There was little left of the relationship between National and Te Pāti Māori after Luxon ruled out working with the party earlier this month, even if it would get him into power.

Turia wouldn’t say whether she hoped National and Te Pāti Māori would follow her advice, noting it was not her place to say.

Hipango said she was “deeply honoured” to have Turia’s support.

“Dame Tariana is a principled, honourable woman, she’s always made the hard calls that were never based on populism or popularity, it’s based on principles and values.

“So, I’m very honoured. She’s been a mentor in my life and continues to be.”