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Politics | Māori Electorates

National to contest Tāmaki Makaurau for first time in 22 years

For the first time in a generation, National will contest the Māori seat of Tāmaki Makaurau at this year's election, naming Hinurewa Te Hau as its candidate.

Te Hau will have a huge job on her hands to wrest the seat from Labour's grip, as well as a stacked card of candidates vying for the seat. But who is Hinurewa Te Hau?

Te Hau, of Ngāti Hine, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Kahungungu, Ngāti Maniapoto, Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Raukawa descent, has extensive experience in strategic and advisory roles in New Zealand's creative sector.

Te Hau is National through and through, with her father a long-time official of the National Party.

She has a job to do in Tāmaki Makaurau, with Te Pāti Māori, Greens and Labour all boasting talented candidates.

She says she isn't there to make up the numbers. The cost of living crisis for Māori is at the top of the hitlist and she plans to also remind voters of National's record of Māori achievement.

Good Māori track record

"It's got to be cost of living. The cost of living is high at the moment and we have got to do something in that space."

"National is supportive of Māori issues, we have got a track record, we know that. Treaty settlements are a really good example."

But what are her thoughts on potential coalition partners should National get the votes come election time, given its potential coalition partner ACT whose leaders have stated policies especially on co-governance that critics call anti-Treaty.

"For me, co-governance is just an English word that is being misconstrued. Since Te Tiriti was signed in 1840, we have been in a partnership. We have to find our way forward aye, it's like kanohi ki te kanohi, sitting down working on what it is that we can do together with them."