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National

Te Pāti Māori open to contesting Tauranga by-election

Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi isn’t ruling out supporting a candidate in the upcoming by-election for the general Tauranga seat vacated by Simon Bridges.

Bridges will step aside from the seat he has held since 2008 in May, with a by-election to be held in June.

Waititi says the party isn’t actively seeking a candidate at the moment, and will it leave it for the people of Tauranga to decide if, and who will put their hat in the ring.

"Mā the iwi o Tauranga Moana e tohutohu. Mehemea ka tohutohu tētahi, āe kātahi ka tino kite i te tautoko a te Pāti Māori i tētahi kua tohungia e Tauranga Moana," he said. (It's for Tauranga Moana to decide. If they choose to put someone up, then yes you will see the full support of Te Pāti Māori)

Bridges (Ngāti Maniapoto) announced in March he would leave Parliament after 14 years to pursue commercial opportunities and spend more time with his young family.

Simon Bridges speaks to Te Ao Tapatahi after announcing he will step down from parliament after 14 years.

Minister for Internal Affairs and Women’s Affairs Jan Tinetti has already confirmed she will contest the seat for Labour, while ACT has confirmed Cameron Luxton will stand. Christchurch-based New Conservatives co-leader Helen Houghton will also contest the seat. Legalise Cannabis, Outdoors and New Nation Party will also put up a candidate while another Christchurch-based contestant, Peter Wakeman, has confirmed he will contest the seat as an independent. National are yet to announce their candidate, however former Tauranga City councillor and current Business Chamber CEO Matt Cowley has confirmed he will seek the nomination of the party. Rotorua Lakes councillor and unsuccessful National Party candidate for the East Coast, Tania Tapsell has said she will not be putting her hand in the ring.

Te Pāti Māori has had candidates in Tauranga in the past but they haven’t attracted many votes each time. Waititi says there are many issues that Māori living in Tauranga face so having a Māori voice in the campaign can help to improve those.

"Te para ki runga o Whareroa, te whakahoki whenua mai o ngā wāhi o reira. Me te mea hoki kia mana ōrite a Tauranga ki runga i ōna poari, ki ngā kaunihera wērā tūāhuatanga katoa. Te hunga kaingakore, wērā tūāhuatanga katoa kei te ngau tonu i Tauranga Moana. Āe, he nui ngā kaupapa hei kawe mā tētahi inā ka tohungia a Tauranga Moana." (There is the pollution issue at Whareroa, land rights claims in the area. Also the need for co-governance on boards and councils in Tauranga, those sorts of things. Not to mention as well the issue of homelessness. All those issues continue to affect Tauranga Moana. There are plenty there for someone to campaign on should the people of Tauranga choose to.)

The Electoral Commission is encouraging people who live in the Tauranga general electorate to enrol to vote.

Nominations close for candidates in Tauranga on May 17.

-Additional reporting by James Perry