He may be considered a "gentle giant" by some, but new Speaker of the House Adrian Rurawhe will not shy away from putting politicians in their place.
The Labour MP for Te Tai Hauāuru was today confirmed by Governor General Cindy Kiro as the 31st Speaker and just the second to be Māori.
It followed yesterday's resignation of Trevor Mallard, who held the role for almost five years and would be leaving in October to prepare for his new role as New Zealand's ambassador to Ireland.
Sir Peter Tapsell was the first Māori to hold the role of te mana whakawā o te whare (Speaker of the House and Head of Parliament) between 1993 and 1996.
Rurawhe, born in 1961, first entered Parliament with the Labour Party in 2014 by winning the Te Tai Hauāuru seat, which he also secured in the two subsequent elections.
He has significant political and cultural lineage as the great-grandson of Ratana movement founder and prophet Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana.
His grandparents, Matiu and Iriaka Rātana, were former Western Māori MPs in the 1940s and the 1950s-60s respectively.
According to a Whanganui Chronicle report from 2013, Rurawhe was raised in a railway house at Taihape and his father was an engine driver. He started working for the railways at the age of 17, and was made redundant in 1991.
He was the chairman of the Ngāti Apa iwi for 10 years. A former member of the Māori Party, Rurawhe left in 2008 when the party supported National in government.
Speaking to media this morning, Rurawhe stated his priorities as Speaker.
"I am absolutely committed to providing every opportunity for the Opposition and the House as a whole to hold the Government to account and for the Government to be accountable.
"I'll bring my life story with me, my way of doing things, my experiences which include being a chair of my iwi for 10 years, which is a challenge in itself and I learned a lot of skills."
He noted it was possible he might allow a more free-flowing debate in the House than it had been under his predecessor.
"I think that could happen but it needs to happen in a way that still maintains the rights and privileges of the House, it can be just a free for all for its own sake."
Speaking from his office prior to his election as Speaker, he noted how kaupapa Māori would influence his actions, referencing the use of te reo Māori.
"It has, on occasion, been in situations when English just isn't working," he told the Herald.
"It is an effective reset position, people when they're not wanting to listen in English tend to pause if I use te reo Māori."
As for his seat in Te Tai Hauāuru, Rurawhe said he had not yet discussed with his electorate committee or the Labour Party about standing again in next year's election so could not confirm either way.
His predecessor as Speaker, Mallard, had copped repeated criticism from Opposition parties for what they considered his bias toward Labour through his actions in the House.
Rurawhe, placing great importance on impartiality, said he had met with the Shadow Leader of the House National Party's Chris Bishop and the party's chief whip - as well as leaders from other parties - to ensure they had a good relationship.
He had also not attended Labour caucus meetings in recent weeks as he considered it inappropriate to listen in on strategy, given his future role.
Nevertheless, Rurawhe accepted accusations of bias were impossible to avoid.
"I think it's inevitable, I think it's part of being in the role."
But Rurawhe said his reputation as a "good listener" would not prevent him from asserting his authority.
"You don't survive chairing an iwi without upsetting people."
This was tested in his one and only appearance in the House as Speaker-elect when, after his election, he was forced to shut down newly independent MP Dr Gaurav Sharma who made accusations about Mallard during his speech congratulating Rurawhe.
The moment forced a normally humble Rurawhe to remind Sharma that the House meeting was about him and other matters could not be discussed.
In his speech upon election, Rurawhe restated his commitment to Opposition parties to allow them to interrogate the Government.
He indicated he would increase their ability to interrogate through extra questions if the Government continued its trend of long-winded, speech-like answers to questions it was allowed to ask of itself.
Rurawhe also paid testament to Mallard, vowing to continue his mission to make Parliament a "family-friendly" environment.
Leaders of all parties spoke of their admiration and respect for Rurawhe and their pleasure in his appointment as Speaker.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Rurawhe had once been described by a colleague as a "gentle giant", but she was confident he could "perfectly balance a light touch and a firm hand".
Both National leader Christopher Luxon and Act leader David Seymour commended Rurawhe on the integrity he would bring to the position, while also referencing their disapproval of Mallard.
Seymour was strong in his condemnation of the former Speaker, intimating Mallard had caused a democratic recession within the House.
Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer appeared to criticise Seymour for focusing on Mallard instead of Rurawhe, which prompted applause across the House.
Ngarewa-Packer, who lost the Te Tai Hauāuru seat to Rurawhe in 2020, referenced their shared whakapapa and the sacrifices he and his whānau had made to get to this position.
The Speaker's role included chairing meetings in the House and certain select committees, as well as acting as landlord for Parliament's buildings.
As Speaker, Rurawhe must impartially interpret parliamentary rules and traditions to maintain order and to defend the rights and privileges of MPs.
If MPs were wilfully disobedient, Rurawhe had the power to suspend them from the House.
The Speaker technically owned all of Parliament's grounds and buildings — Parliament House, the Parliamentary Library, the Beehive, and the lease on Bowen House.
Rurawhe would be responsible for allocating office space in these buildings, and for regulating access by the media and public to the buildings.
