Te Pāti Māori eyes Te Tai Hauāuru for election 2023 after speaker Rurawhe opts for Labour list

The Speaker Adrian Rurawhe during his election ceremony in Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The decision by Te Tai Hauāuru MP and Speaker of the House Adrian Rurawhe to not stand for the Māori electorate in October’s general election has opened the door for a Te Pāti Māori co-leader to win the seat - and take even more Māori Party MPs into the next parliament.

Rurawhe has won Te Tai Hauāuru three times but now that he is Speaker, he will stand on the Labour Party list only. He is guaranteed his return, as he will be given a high list placing.

That means the seat is there for the taking by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, who lost to Rurawhe by 1053 votes in 2020.

Rurawhe said regardless of whoever wins the October election, he would like to continue as Speaker.

“Since MMP, no sitting Speaker has contested a seat. I’ve thought long and hard about whether I should do that or not, and had lots of conversations with friends, family, iwi.”

Rurawhe, the great-grandson of Rātana Church founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, announced the news at Rātana Pā last week.

“I don’t think it’s possible to be both the Speaker and the Member of Parliament for Te Tai Hauāuru. My decision is based on that.

“I will not contest the Te Tai Hauāuru seat for the 2023 election. I will be on the Labour Party list only,” Rurawhe told Local Democracy Reporting’s Moana Ellis.

“There are plenty of candidates that the Labour Party could choose as a candidate in the next election and I’ll leave that to them. I think it will be an interesting campaign.”

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer will stand for Te Pāti Māori in the Te Tai Hauāuru electorate at election 2023. Photo / Facebook

Te Pāti Māori, also at Rātana, confirmed Ngarewa-Packer as its candidate.

Party president John Tamihere said Ngarewa-Packer had done an outstanding job as a MP alongside Rawiri Waititi.

“Alongside Rawiri, Debbie’s efforts in Parliament have been simply outstanding. Aotearoa knows what the Māori position is, why it is and on every level it is advanced in a just, evidenced-based and reasoned way.

“As a List MP, Debbie has already been relentless in advancing the interests of her people and continuing to build our presence in the electorate. As an electorate MP, with the resource and mandate that comes with that, there will be nothing to stop her from putting Te Tai Hauāuru’s kaupapa at the absolute forefront of the national political agenda.”

Ngarewa-Packer said she will continue to advance the interests of Māori and those of her constituency Te Tai Hauāuru.

“I’m proud to once again have the faith of my electorate and party to fly the flag in Te Tai Hauāuru on behalf of our unapologetic Māori movement and alongside what will be a formidable team of Te Pāti Māori candidates across Aotearoa.

“It’s an honour to announce my candidacy at Rātana among my whanaunga of te iwi Mōrehu, and celebrate T.W Rātana’s political legacy of honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and eradicating poverty.”