Heather Te-Au Skipworth is the first Māori Party candidate to contest a general seat in this year’s election and believes she has a fighting chance.
After abandoning the general seats at the last election, the Māori Party is changing tact.
Te Au-Skipworth is campaigning for the Tukituki electorate and is banking on a win to support Independent MP Meka Whaitiri, if she successfully holds Ikaroa-Rāwhiti for the party.
Tukituki includes the communities of Hastings, Havelock North, Flaxmere, Clive and Ōtāne, as well as the coastal settlements of Haumoana, Te Awanga, and Waimārama. Just over 70 per cent of its residents are Pākehā with Māori making up 27 per cent.
Te Au-Skipworth is confident she’ll get the support of both Māori and non-Māori voters.
“A lot of non-Māori actually are quite encouraging and have said, ‘Yay! Now I've got somebody to vote for.’ One person at the supermarket in Havelock North said to me, ‘I've always voted but now I’m excited to vote.’ So yeah that’s pretty encouraging to me,” she said.
“The electorate seats are inequitable, especially for Māori. When you look at it … when there's a problem that a Māori person has, they won’t go to the general electorate MP if they're on the general roll. They look at Māori to help fix their āwangawanga (concerns).”
The Tukituki electorate is held by Labour MP Anna Lorck who is seeking the party’s nomination for the seat again. Other candidates in the race include former journalist, Catherine Wedd for National and Destiny Church pastor and businessman, Michael Ngahuka for Vision NZ.
Massey University Māori advisor, Tākuta Ferris has confirmed he’ll return to contest Te Tai Tonga for the Māori Party.
Ferris won just 26 per cent of votes in 2020 compared to the majority of incumbent Labour MP, Rino Tirikatene (50.4%).
He acknowledged the history and political strength of Tirikatene but is optimistic voters want the return of a Māori Party MP.
Rāhui Katene held Te Tai Tonga from 2008 to 2011 for the Māori Party.
“For me it is about campaigning on issues that affect to our people and the future generations.”
Win or lose, Ferris says he’ll continue to hold those in power to account.