Maori politics
Encyclopedia
Māori politics is the politics
of the Māori people, who were the original inhabitants of New Zealand
and who are now the country's largest minority. Modern Māori politics can be seen as a subset of New Zealand politics
in general, but has a number of distinguishing features.
(European settlers) in New Zealand, Māori society was based largely around communal units. A common misconception is that pre-colonial Māori governance was structured into the "rigid and static structural models" (p. 19) proposed by early ethnologists, such as Elsdon Best
(1934):
Twentieth century research "modified this model of tribal organisation, emphasising the role of the hapū
... as the largest effective corporate group which defended a territory or worked together in peaceful enterprises" (p. 19). Therefore, it is now understood that hapū were responsible for administering resources, land, and important community buildings, and were also responsible for warfare (particularly maintaining the waka
). The iwi typically functioned more as a federation than as an administrative structure.
Political leadership or governance in Māori society has traditionally come from two different groups of people — the Ariki
and the Rangatira
. The Ariki are "persons of the highest rank and seniority" (p. 58). Ariki did not operate in simple hierarchical orgranisations
; despite what later "government officers were inclined to believe", Ariki have never been "the apex of a structured hierarchy of institutionalised tribal authority" (p. 264). Many positions overlap with Ariki holding multiple roles, including "head of an iwi
, the rangatira of a hapu
and the kaumatua
of a whanau
" (p. 197).
The Rangatira are the hereditary Māori leaders of hapū, often described by Europeans as chieftains
. They are typified by their "humility, leadership, diplomacy, generosity, integrity and honesty" (p. 4).
The Treaty of Waitangi
, signed between various Māori iwi and the British
crown, had the practical effect of transferring sovereignty to the United Kingdom. (It is debated as to whether this was the intent of the Māori, and whether this was what the treaty actually said.) Māori were theoretically granted all the rights of British subjects.
As settlement increased, the colonists became increasingly vocal in their call for self-government. Eventually, in 1852, the British government passed the New Zealand Constitution Act, establishing an elected New Zealand Parliament. Responsible government
, where this Parliament had the authority to appoint Cabinet
, was achieved a few years later. At first, Māori had little interest in the new Parliament, seeing it as a Pākehā institution with no real relevance to them. Later, however, there was an increasing desire by Māori to participate in Parliament — the New Zealand Land Wars
of the 1860s, coupled with ongoing land seizures, convinced many Māori that the "settler Parliament" now had a major impact on them, and that their voices needed to be heard in it.
In theory, there was never any law barring Māori from election to Parliament, nor barring them from voting. In practice, however, other laws made it virtually impossible. The major stumbling block was the property qualification, which required voters to own a certain amount of land. While Māori owned a large portion of New Zealand, most of this was held in common, not under individual title. As such, few individual Māori met the property requirement personally — even if they were part-owners of vast amounts of land, they did not have any land which they owned exclusively, and so did not qualify to vote.
In 1867, however, Parliament passed the Māori Representation Act, which created four special electorates for Māori. These seats did not have a property qualification. The creation of the seats was controversial, being opposed by those Pākehā who saw Māori as uncivilised. It was also opposed by a small group which felt that by creating separate Māori electorates, Māori would be sidelined, as Pākehā politicians would not have to consult Māori opinion as they would if Māori voted in general electorates. There was also debate about the number of seats — if Māori had been given a number of seats equivalent to their population, they would have had around fifteen seats, not four. One of the more radical MPs in Parliament, James FitzGerald
, actually called for Māori to be given a third of the seats in Parliament, but this was widely seen as excessive. In the end, the seats were approved based mainly on a desire to improve relations with Māori and reduce military conflict. The first Māori MPs took their seats in 1868.
It was intended that these seats would eventually be abolished as Māori abandoned traditional land ownership traditions. In the end, however, the seats were retained, and still exist today. There have, over the years, been a number of attempts to abolish them, with a number of different reasons being given — some said that reserving seats was unfair, while others said that keeping Māori electorates separate meant that Māori were marginalised and ignored by mainstream politicians. Many Māori politicians defended the electorates, saying that they were necessary to ensure Māori representation in Parliament. Other Māori leaders, however, said that the seats were not required — there have been Māori politicians who have gained election in non-Māori seats.
When Māori MPs were first elected to Parliament, there were no formal political parties
in New Zealand. After the Liberal Party
was founded, however, it gained the support of a number of prominent Māori figures. The most prominent Māori to serve as a Liberal MP was Apirana Ngata
, who rose high within the Liberal Party's hierarchy. Ngata is said by many to be the most prominent Māori MP ever, and he is featured on New Zealand's fifty-dollar bill
. The Liberal Party did not have an exclusive control of the Māori electorates, however — Maui Pomare
, another prominent Māori politician, was a member of the conservative and rural Reform Party
, as were Taurekareka Henare
and Taite Te Tomo
. The Young Māori Party
supported political action, but it was not a formal party.
In the 1930s, new movements began to arise in Māori politics. In particular, the Ratana
church expanded its political participation, standing candidates for Parliament. In the 1935 elections
, Ratana won two of the four Māori electorates. The Ratana MPs did not remain independent for long, however — they quickly merged into the Labour Party
, which they saw as best addressing Māori needs. By 1943
, the Labour/Ratana alliance had won all four Māori electorates, establishing a pattern of dominance that many people thought was unbreakable. Among the most prominent Māori MPs in the Labour Party were Eruera Tirikatene
, who was succeeded by his daughter, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
— both represented Southern Maori
in Parliament for several decades.
Despite Labour's dominance of the Māori vote, the National Party
, Labour's main opponent, occasionally elected Māori MPs in general electorates. Ben Couch
(Wairarapa
) and Rex Austin
(Awarua), were elected in 1975
, the second and third Māori elected to a general seat (after Sir James Carroll
in 1893). Winston Peters
, elected to Tauranga
in 1984
(he had previously stood for Northern Maori
) is half Māori.
In the 1996 elections
, a major shift in Māori politics occurred when Labour lost all the Māori seats (of which there were now five) to the New Zealand First
party. New Zealand First, while not a Māori party, has a strong Māori wing, and its leader, Winston Peters
(originally of the National Party), is half Māori. New Zealand First's clean sweep of the Māori seats surprised many observers, who had believed that Labour's grip was too strong to be broken. In the 1999 elections
, Labour won all the Māori electorates back again, but the traditional Māori allegiance to Labour has been re-evaluated — Labour cannot, most observers say, simply take Māori support for granted.
Since the advent of
the MMP electoral system
, Māori representation in Parliament has increased — Māori are able to be elected as list MPs, bypassing the problem of securing an electorate. This has been particularly noticeable in parties which have traditionally contained few Māori — MPs such as Georgina Te Heuheu
in the National Party
and Donna Awatere Huata
in the ACT party are not likely to have entered Parliament without MMP, given the difficulty that their parties would face contesting the Māori electorates. At present, there are ten Māori electorate MPs (seven in Māori electorates and three in general seats) and nine Māori list MPs. Māori make up around 16% of Parliament, slightly higher than their proportion of the population. The introduction of MMP brought further calls for the abolition of the Māori electorates, which many deemed unnecessary in the new system.
, quit the party to form his own group, saying that Māori could not succeed if they were simply a component of a larger group. Later, Tuariki Delamere
would say much the same thing, claiming that "you cannot be accountable to Māori if your first allegiance is to a political vehicle that is owned and controlled by Pākehā." Most recently, Tariana Turia
has broken from the Labour Party to co-found the new Māori Party
, which won four of the seven Māori seats
in the 2005 election
which were held by the Labour party
, and a fifth Māori seat in the 2008 election
. The Māori Party entered a confidence and supply
agreement with the Fifth National Government in 2008, and two of its MPs became Ministers outside Cabinet in that Government.
Below are some of the parties which have been based around Māori voters, or which are sometimes seen as such.
, roughly translated as "self-government", was founded in 1979 as an independent Māori party by Labour MP Matiu Rata
. Rata resigned from Parliament to contest a by-election
under Mana Motuhake's banner, but was not re-elected. The party tried for some time to win the Māori seats, but was never elected to Parliament. In 1991, Mana Motuhake joined the Alliance
, a broad left-wing coalition. Under the Alliance, several Mana Motuhake members, including Sandra Lee-Vercoe
and Willie Jackson, were elected to Parliament. When the Alliance split, Mana Motuhake remained with the hardline faction, which failed to retain any seats in Parliament. Mana Motuhake has since left the Alliance.
was founded by Eva Rickard
, a former candidate of Mana Motuhake. Rickard objected to the decision by Mana Motuhake to join the Alliance, believing that a completely independent Māori party was required. Mana Māori contested the Māori seats, but never won a place in Parliament. In the most recent elections, it worked in coalition with Te Tawharau and Piri Wiri Tua.
, founded by former Alliance
(Mana Motuhake) MP Alamein Kopu
, stated its goal as promoting and protecting the interests of Māori women. Many of its opponents, however, claimed that the party was born out of Kopu's "opportunism", and denied that it had any real ideological commitment. Kopu was not re-elected.
, founded by five former New Zealand First
MPs, denied that it was a Māori party, saying instead that it was merely "multiculturalist
". It did, however, have policies that were strongly favourable towards Māori, and three of its five MPs (including its leader) were of Māori descent. This contributed to a widespread perception of it as a Māori party. The similarity of "Mauri" and "Māori" likely strengthened this view, although the words are unrelated. None of the party's MPs were re-elected, and it has since dissolved.
is a small Māori party which briefly held a seat in Parliament when Tuariki Delamere
, a former New Zealand First
MP, joined it. Delamere believed that an independent Māori voice was essential, saying that New Zealand First had tried and failed to balance Māori interests with other concerns. Delamere was not re-elected.
is a small party based around the teachings of the Ratana
church.
is the newest Māori political organisation, and is currently the best performing. It was founded around Tariana Turia
, a Labour MP who quit her party over the foreshore and seabed controversy
, which Turia claims is seeing Māori deprived of their rights. She shares the party leadership with Pita Sharples
, a Māori academic. The Māori Party hoped to win all seven Māori seats in the next election, in 2005
, although eventually won only four. Polls leading up to the election widely expected this - particularly for Labour MPs Nanaia Mahuta
and Parekura Horomia
to hold their seats. The party gained another seat in the 2008 election
, although their share of the party vote remained low, with many Māori voters splitting their vote between a Māori Party MP and the Labour Party. After the 2008 election, the Māori Party agreed to support a minority National government
on matters of confidence and supply, gaining ministerial posts for its co-leaders and commitments regarding the Māori seats and the foreshore and seabed legislation.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of the Māori people, who were the original inhabitants of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and who are now the country's largest minority. Modern Māori politics can be seen as a subset of New Zealand politics
Politics of New Zealand
The politics of New Zealand take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy. The basic system is closely patterned on that of the Westminster System, although a number of significant modifications have been made...
in general, but has a number of distinguishing features.
Pre-colonial Māori governance
Before the arrival of PākehāPakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
(European settlers) in New Zealand, Māori society was based largely around communal units. A common misconception is that pre-colonial Māori governance was structured into the "rigid and static structural models" (p. 19) proposed by early ethnologists, such as Elsdon Best
Elsdon Best
Elsdon Best was an ethnographer who made important contributions to the study of the Māori of New Zealand.-Early life and career:...
(1934):
-
- The tribal organisation of the Maori included three different groups - the tribe (iwi), the clan (hapu), and the family group (whanau).... The clan or sub-tribe was composed of a number of family groups, and the sum of the clans (hapu) formed the tribe. (p. 89)
Twentieth century research "modified this model of tribal organisation, emphasising the role of the hapū
Hapu
A hapū is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".A named division of a Māori iwi , membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau groups. Generally hapū range in size from 150-200 although there is no upper limit...
... as the largest effective corporate group which defended a territory or worked together in peaceful enterprises" (p. 19). Therefore, it is now understood that hapū were responsible for administering resources, land, and important community buildings, and were also responsible for warfare (particularly maintaining the waka
Waka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
). The iwi typically functioned more as a federation than as an administrative structure.
Political leadership or governance in Māori society has traditionally come from two different groups of people — the Ariki
Ariki
An Ariki , ‘Ariki , Aliki , Ali‘i , Ari'i or ‘Eiki is or was a member of a hereditary chiefly or noble rank in Polynesia.-Aotearoa Ariki:Political leadership or governance in Māori society has traditionally come from two...
and the Rangatira
Rangatira
Rangatira are the hereditary Māori leaders of hapū, and were described by ethnologists such as Elsdon Best as chieftains . Ideally, rangatira were people of great practical wisdom who held authority on behalf of the tribe and maintained boundaries between a tribe's land and that of other tribes...
. The Ariki are "persons of the highest rank and seniority" (p. 58). Ariki did not operate in simple hierarchical orgranisations
Hierarchical organization
A hierarchical organization is an organizational structure where every entity in the organization, except one, is subordinate to a single other entity. This arrangement is a form of a hierarchy. In an organization, the hierarchy usually consists of a singular/group of power at the top with...
; despite what later "government officers were inclined to believe", Ariki have never been "the apex of a structured hierarchy of institutionalised tribal authority" (p. 264). Many positions overlap with Ariki holding multiple roles, including "head of an iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
, the rangatira of a hapu
Hapu
A hapū is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".A named division of a Māori iwi , membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau groups. Generally hapū range in size from 150-200 although there is no upper limit...
and the kaumatua
Kaumatua
Kaumātua are respected tribal elders of either gender in a Māori community who have been involved with their whānau for a number of years. They are appointed by their people who believe the chosen elders have the capacity to teach and guide both current and future generations...
of a whanau
Whanau
Whānau , is a Māori-language word for extended family, now increasingly entering New Zealand English, particularly in official publications.In Māori society, the whānau is also a political unit, below the level of hapū and iwi, and the word itself also has other meanings: as a verb meaning to give...
" (p. 197).
The Rangatira are the hereditary Māori leaders of hapū, often described by Europeans as chieftains
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
. They are typified by their "humility, leadership, diplomacy, generosity, integrity and honesty" (p. 4).
Entry of Māori to colonial politics
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
, signed between various Māori iwi and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
crown, had the practical effect of transferring sovereignty to the United Kingdom. (It is debated as to whether this was the intent of the Māori, and whether this was what the treaty actually said.) Māori were theoretically granted all the rights of British subjects.
As settlement increased, the colonists became increasingly vocal in their call for self-government. Eventually, in 1852, the British government passed the New Zealand Constitution Act, establishing an elected New Zealand Parliament. Responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
, where this Parliament had the authority to appoint Cabinet
New Zealand Cabinet
The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
, was achieved a few years later. At first, Māori had little interest in the new Parliament, seeing it as a Pākehā institution with no real relevance to them. Later, however, there was an increasing desire by Māori to participate in Parliament — the New Zealand Land Wars
New Zealand land wars
The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...
of the 1860s, coupled with ongoing land seizures, convinced many Māori that the "settler Parliament" now had a major impact on them, and that their voices needed to be heard in it.
In theory, there was never any law barring Māori from election to Parliament, nor barring them from voting. In practice, however, other laws made it virtually impossible. The major stumbling block was the property qualification, which required voters to own a certain amount of land. While Māori owned a large portion of New Zealand, most of this was held in common, not under individual title. As such, few individual Māori met the property requirement personally — even if they were part-owners of vast amounts of land, they did not have any land which they owned exclusively, and so did not qualify to vote.
In 1867, however, Parliament passed the Māori Representation Act, which created four special electorates for Māori. These seats did not have a property qualification. The creation of the seats was controversial, being opposed by those Pākehā who saw Māori as uncivilised. It was also opposed by a small group which felt that by creating separate Māori electorates, Māori would be sidelined, as Pākehā politicians would not have to consult Māori opinion as they would if Māori voted in general electorates. There was also debate about the number of seats — if Māori had been given a number of seats equivalent to their population, they would have had around fifteen seats, not four. One of the more radical MPs in Parliament, James FitzGerald
James FitzGerald
James Edward FitzGerald was a New Zealand politician. According to some historians, he should be considered the country's first Prime Minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor should properly be given that title. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand...
, actually called for Māori to be given a third of the seats in Parliament, but this was widely seen as excessive. In the end, the seats were approved based mainly on a desire to improve relations with Māori and reduce military conflict. The first Māori MPs took their seats in 1868.
It was intended that these seats would eventually be abolished as Māori abandoned traditional land ownership traditions. In the end, however, the seats were retained, and still exist today. There have, over the years, been a number of attempts to abolish them, with a number of different reasons being given — some said that reserving seats was unfair, while others said that keeping Māori electorates separate meant that Māori were marginalised and ignored by mainstream politicians. Many Māori politicians defended the electorates, saying that they were necessary to ensure Māori representation in Parliament. Other Māori leaders, however, said that the seats were not required — there have been Māori politicians who have gained election in non-Māori seats.
Māori in mainstream parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in New Zealand. After the Liberal Party
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...
was founded, however, it gained the support of a number of prominent Māori figures. The most prominent Māori to serve as a Liberal MP was Apirana Ngata
Apirana Ngata
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand politician and lawyer. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.-Early life:One of 15 children, Ngata...
, who rose high within the Liberal Party's hierarchy. Ngata is said by many to be the most prominent Māori MP ever, and he is featured on New Zealand's fifty-dollar bill
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
. The Liberal Party did not have an exclusive control of the Māori electorates, however — Maui Pomare
Maui Pomare
Sir Maui Wiremu Pita Naera Pomare, KBE, CMG was a New Zealand doctor and politician, being counted among the more prominent Māori political figures...
, another prominent Māori politician, was a member of the conservative and rural Reform Party
New Zealand Reform Party
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...
, as were Taurekareka Henare
Taurekareka Henare
Taurekareka Henare was a Māori politician of the Reform Party.-Background and early life:Henare was born at Pipiwai in the Bay of Islands, in 1878 or 1877. His father, Henare Wynyard, was said to be the son of Robert Wynyard, acting governor of New Zealand...
and Taite Te Tomo
Taite te Tomo
Taite Te Tomo was a Māori and Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He won the Western Maori electorate in a 1930 by-election after the death of Maui Pomare, but lost it in 1935 to the Ratana candidate Haami Tokouru Ratana....
. The Young Māori Party
Young Maori Party
The Young Māori Party was a New Zealand organisation dedicated to improving the position of Māori. It grew out of the Te Aute Students Association, established by former students of Te Aute College in 1897. It was established as the Young Māori Party in 1909....
supported political action, but it was not a formal party.
In the 1930s, new movements began to arise in Māori politics. In particular, the Ratana
Ratana
The Rātana movement is a Māori religion and pan-tribal political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th century New Zealand...
church expanded its political participation, standing candidates for Parliament. In the 1935 elections
New Zealand general election, 1935
The 1935 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 25th term. It resulted in the Labour Party's first electoral victory, with Michael Joseph Savage becoming the first Labour Prime Minister...
, Ratana won two of the four Māori electorates. The Ratana MPs did not remain independent for long, however — they quickly merged into the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
, which they saw as best addressing Māori needs. By 1943
New Zealand general election, 1943
The 1943 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 27th term. With the onset of World War II, elections were initially postponed, but it was eventually decided to hold a general election in September 1943, around two years after it...
, the Labour/Ratana alliance had won all four Māori electorates, establishing a pattern of dominance that many people thought was unbreakable. Among the most prominent Māori MPs in the Labour Party were Eruera Tirikatene
Eruera Tirikatene
Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene, KCMG was a New Zealand Māori politician of the Ngai Tahu tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana Member of Parliament and was elected in a by-election for Southern Maori in June 1932 after the death of Tuiti...
, who was succeeded by his daughter, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan
Tini "Whetu" Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan, ONZ was a New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1967 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. At the time of her retirement, she was the second longest-serving MP in Parliament, being in her tenth term of office...
— both represented Southern Maori
Southern Maori
Southern Maori was one of the four original New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres:* -Tribal Areas:...
in Parliament for several decades.
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
, Labour's main opponent, occasionally elected Māori MPs in general electorates. Ben Couch
Ben Couch
Manuera Benjamin Riwai Couch or, as he was generally known, Ben Couch , was a New Zealand politician and rugby union player and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(Wairarapa
Wairarapa (New Zealand electorate)
Wairarapa is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It was first created in 1859 and existed until 1881. It was recreated in 1887 and has since existed continuously...
) and Rex Austin
Rex Austin
William Rex Austin, known as Rex Austin, was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.In the 1975 election he was elected to Parliament as the National Party MP for Awarua, which he represented until 1987....
(Awarua), were elected in 1975
New Zealand general election, 1975
The 1975 New Zealand general election was held to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It was the first election in New Zealand where 18-20 year olds and all permanent residents of New Zealand were eligible to vote, although only citizens were able to be...
, the second and third Māori elected to a general seat (after Sir James Carroll
James Carroll (New Zealand politician)
Sir James Carroll, KCMG , known to Māori as Timi Kara, was a New Zealand politician of Irish and Ngati Kahungunu descent. Beginning his career as an interpreter and land agent, Carroll was elected to the Eastern Maori seat in 1887. He was Colonial Secretary from 1895...
in 1893). Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
, elected to Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
in 1984
New Zealand general election, 1984
The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating long-serving Prime Minister Robert Muldoon of the National Party. It was also the...
(he had previously stood for Northern Maori
Northern Maori
Northern Maori was one of the four original New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres: Auckland, Whangarei.-Tribal Areas:...
) is half Māori.
In the 1996 elections
New Zealand general election, 1996
The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...
, a major shift in Māori politics occurred when Labour lost all the Māori seats (of which there were now five) to the New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
party. New Zealand First, while not a Māori party, has a strong Māori wing, and its leader, Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
(originally of the National Party), is half Māori. New Zealand First's clean sweep of the Māori seats surprised many observers, who had believed that Labour's grip was too strong to be broken. In the 1999 elections
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
, Labour won all the Māori electorates back again, but the traditional Māori allegiance to Labour has been re-evaluated — Labour cannot, most observers say, simply take Māori support for granted.
Since the advent of
Electoral reform in New Zealand
Electoral reform in New Zealand has, in recent years, become a political issue as major changes have been made to both Parliamentary and local government electoral systems.- Parliamentary Electoral Reform :...
the MMP electoral system
Electoral system of New Zealand
In 1994 New Zealand officially adopted mixed member proportional representation as its electoral system for the House of Representatives after many years of first-past-the-post voting. The first MMP election was held in 1996....
, Māori representation in Parliament has increased — Māori are able to be elected as list MPs, bypassing the problem of securing an electorate. This has been particularly noticeable in parties which have traditionally contained few Māori — MPs such as Georgina Te Heuheu
Georgina Te Heuheu
Georgina Manunui te Heuheu QSO is a Māori descent of Tūhoe, Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa and Ngāti Awa. MP in the New Zealand National Party and a Cabinet Minister in the New Zealand Government.-Early life:...
in the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
and Donna Awatere Huata
Donna Awatere Huata
Donna Lynn Awatere Huata is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament for the ACT Party, former activist for Māori causes, and convicted fraudster.-Early life:...
in the ACT party are not likely to have entered Parliament without MMP, given the difficulty that their parties would face contesting the Māori electorates. At present, there are ten Māori electorate MPs (seven in Māori electorates and three in general seats) and nine Māori list MPs. Māori make up around 16% of Parliament, slightly higher than their proportion of the population. The introduction of MMP brought further calls for the abolition of the Māori electorates, which many deemed unnecessary in the new system.
Māori parties
Throughout the history of Māori participation in mainstream parties, there have been those who argue that Māori cannot truly be represented unless they have a separate group. In recent years, with the resurgence of Māori culture, these calls have increased. In 1979, a Labour MP, Matiu RataMatiu Rata
Matiu Rata was a New Zealand Māori politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Northern Maori from 1963 to 1979, the Minister of Lands and Minister of Māori Affairs in the Third Labour Government of New Zealand between 1972 and 1975...
, quit the party to form his own group, saying that Māori could not succeed if they were simply a component of a larger group. Later, Tuariki Delamere
Tuariki Delamere
Tuariki John Delamere is a former New Zealand politician. He served as an MP from 1996 to 1999, and was a member of Cabinet for the duration of his term.-Before politics:...
would say much the same thing, claiming that "you cannot be accountable to Māori if your first allegiance is to a political vehicle that is owned and controlled by Pākehā." Most recently, Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result...
has broken from the Labour Party to co-found the new Māori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
, which won four of the seven Māori seats
Maori seats
In New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially also called Māori seats, are a special category of electorate that gives reserved positions to representatives of Māori in the New Zealand Parliament...
in the 2005 election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
which were held by the Labour party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
, and a fifth Māori seat in the 2008 election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
. The Māori Party entered a confidence and supply
Confidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
agreement with the Fifth National Government in 2008, and two of its MPs became Ministers outside Cabinet in that Government.
Below are some of the parties which have been based around Māori voters, or which are sometimes seen as such.
Mana Motuhake
Mana MotuhakeMana Motuhake
Mana Māori Motuhake was a Māori political party in New Zealand. The name is difficult to translate accurately, but essentially refers to Māori self-rule and self-determination — mana, in this context, can be understood as "authority" or "power", while motuhake can be understood as...
, roughly translated as "self-government", was founded in 1979 as an independent Māori party by Labour MP Matiu Rata
Matiu Rata
Matiu Rata was a New Zealand Māori politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Northern Maori from 1963 to 1979, the Minister of Lands and Minister of Māori Affairs in the Third Labour Government of New Zealand between 1972 and 1975...
. Rata resigned from Parliament to contest a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
under Mana Motuhake's banner, but was not re-elected. The party tried for some time to win the Māori seats, but was never elected to Parliament. In 1991, Mana Motuhake joined the Alliance
Alliance (New Zealand political party)
The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the...
, a broad left-wing coalition. Under the Alliance, several Mana Motuhake members, including Sandra Lee-Vercoe
Sandra Lee-Vercoe
Sandra Rose Te Hakamatua Lee-Vercoe QSO is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. She served as deputy leader of the Alliance party, and was later High Commissioner to Niue.-Early life:...
and Willie Jackson, were elected to Parliament. When the Alliance split, Mana Motuhake remained with the hardline faction, which failed to retain any seats in Parliament. Mana Motuhake has since left the Alliance.
Mana Māori Movement
The Mana Māori MovementMana Maori Movement
The Mana Māori Movement was a New Zealand political party. It advocated on behalf of the Māori people. It was founded by Eva Rickard, a prominent Māori activist. Rickard was originally a member of Mana Motuhake, another Māori party, but quit when Mana Motuhake joined the Alliance...
was founded by Eva Rickard
Eva Rickard
Eva Rickard rose to prominence as an activist for Māori land rights activist and for women’s rights within Māoridom. Her methods included public civil disobedience and she is best known for leading the occupation of Raglan golf course in the 1970s.-Biography:Eva Rickard was most notably regarded...
, a former candidate of Mana Motuhake. Rickard objected to the decision by Mana Motuhake to join the Alliance, believing that a completely independent Māori party was required. Mana Māori contested the Māori seats, but never won a place in Parliament. In the most recent elections, it worked in coalition with Te Tawharau and Piri Wiri Tua.
Mana Wahine
Mana Wahine Te Ira TangataMana Wahine Te Ira Tangata
Mana Wahine Te Ira Tangata was a small and short-lived political party in New Zealand. It was established by Alamein Kopu, a member of the New Zealand Parliament who had left her original party . After a short time as an independent MP, Kopu established Mana Wahine as her own party...
, founded by former Alliance
Alliance (New Zealand political party)
The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the...
(Mana Motuhake) MP Alamein Kopu
Alamein Kopu
- Birth and early life :Kopu was raised in Opotiki. Her family was not wealthy, and Kopu characterises her youth as containing "much hardship". In 1978, her family moved to Sydney, Australia. In Australia, Kopu became involved with community programs aimed at drug users and prostitutes, something...
, stated its goal as promoting and protecting the interests of Māori women. Many of its opponents, however, claimed that the party was born out of Kopu's "opportunism", and denied that it had any real ideological commitment. Kopu was not re-elected.
Mauri Pacific
Mauri PacificMauri Pacific
Mauri Pacific was a short-lived political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1998 by five former members of the New Zealand First party. It has often been described as a Māori party. Officially, Mauri Pacific was a multiculturalist party, welcoming anyone who supported racial and cultural...
, founded by five former New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
MPs, denied that it was a Māori party, saying instead that it was merely "multiculturalist
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
". It did, however, have policies that were strongly favourable towards Māori, and three of its five MPs (including its leader) were of Māori descent. This contributed to a widespread perception of it as a Māori party. The similarity of "Mauri" and "Māori" likely strengthened this view, although the words are unrelated. None of the party's MPs were re-elected, and it has since dissolved.
Te Tawharau
Te TawharauTe Tawharau
Te Tawharau was a Māori political party in New Zealand.Te Tawharau briefly had representation in Parliament when Tuariki Delamere, a former New Zealand First MP, transferred his loyalty to it. In the 1999 elections, Te Tawharau contested electorates under its own banner, but contested the party...
is a small Māori party which briefly held a seat in Parliament when Tuariki Delamere
Tuariki Delamere
Tuariki John Delamere is a former New Zealand politician. He served as an MP from 1996 to 1999, and was a member of Cabinet for the duration of his term.-Before politics:...
, a former New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
MP, joined it. Delamere believed that an independent Māori voice was essential, saying that New Zealand First had tried and failed to balance Māori interests with other concerns. Delamere was not re-elected.
Piri Wiri Tua
The Piri Wiri Tua MovementPiri Wiri Tua Movement
Piri Wiri Tua Movement is a Māori political party in New Zealand and is based around the Ratana movement. The name "Piri Wiri Tua" was sometimes used by the religion's founder, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, and means The Campaigner...
is a small party based around the teachings of the Ratana
Ratana
The Rātana movement is a Māori religion and pan-tribal political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th century New Zealand...
church.
Māori Party
The Māori PartyMaori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
is the newest Māori political organisation, and is currently the best performing. It was founded around Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result...
, a Labour MP who quit her party over the foreshore and seabed controversy
New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy
The New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title. These claims are based around historical possession and the Treaty...
, which Turia claims is seeing Māori deprived of their rights. She shares the party leadership with Pita Sharples
Pita Sharples
Pita Russell Sharples, CBE, , a Māori academic and politician, currently co-leads the Māori Party. He currently is the member for Tamaki Makaurau in New Zealand's Parliament.-Early life:...
, a Māori academic. The Māori Party hoped to win all seven Māori seats in the next election, in 2005
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
, although eventually won only four. Polls leading up to the election widely expected this - particularly for Labour MPs Nanaia Mahuta
Nanaia Mahuta
Nanaia Cybelle Mahuta BA, MA in social anthropology, is a New Zealand politician and was a cabinet minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand. She was Minister of Customs, Minister of Local Government, Minister of Youth Development, Associate Minister for the Environment and Associate...
and Parekura Horomia
Parekura Horomia
Parekura Tureia Horomia is a New Zealand Labour Party past Minister of Māori Affairs-Early life:Horomia was born in Tolaga Bay of Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga Hauiti, Ngati Kahungunu and Ngai Tahu descent....
to hold their seats. The party gained another seat in the 2008 election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
, although their share of the party vote remained low, with many Māori voters splitting their vote between a Māori Party MP and the Labour Party. After the 2008 election, the Māori Party agreed to support a minority National government
Fifth National Government of New Zealand
The Fifth National Government of New Zealand is the current government of New Zealand. It is led by Prime Minister John Key.After the 2008 general election the National Party and its allies were able to form a government, taking over from Helen Clark's Fifth Labour Government. The National party...
on matters of confidence and supply, gaining ministerial posts for its co-leaders and commitments regarding the Māori seats and the foreshore and seabed legislation.
Māori politicians
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Pita Paraone Pita Paraone, MNZM, is a New Zealand politician, Chairman of the Waitangi Trust Board. He is a member of the New Zealand First party.-Member of Parliamnet:... Hekia Parata Hon. Hekia Parata, Lady Gardiner is a New Zealand politician and member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, having been elected to parliament in the 2008 general election... Edwin Perry Edwin Perry is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the New Zealand First party.-Member of Parliament:He was first elected to Parliament as a list MP in the 2002 elections, having also stood in the Wairarapa electorate. He formerly held office in the National Party's organisational wing.... Ian Peters Ian Peters was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Tongariro electorate in Parliament from 1990 to 1993, when he was defeated by Mark Burton... Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being... Jill Pettis Marjorie Jill Pettis is a New Zealand politician, and a member of the Labour Party.Pettis became MP for Whanganui in the 1993 elections, but in 2005 she narrowly lost the seat to Chester Borrows. She was returned to Parliament however as a list MP... Maui Pomare Sir Maui Wiremu Pita Naera Pomare, KBE, CMG was a New Zealand doctor and politician, being counted among the more prominent Māori political figures... Matiu Rata Matiu Rata was a New Zealand Māori politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Northern Maori from 1963 to 1979, the Minister of Lands and Minister of Māori Affairs in the Third Labour Government of New Zealand between 1972 and 1975... Eva Rickard Eva Rickard rose to prominence as an activist for Māori land rights activist and for women’s rights within Māoridom. Her methods included public civil disobedience and she is best known for leading the occupation of Raglan golf course in the 1970s.-Biography:Eva Rickard was most notably regarded... Mita Ririnui Mita Michael Ririnui is a New Zealand politician and a member of the Labour Party. He has been a member of parliament since 1999.-Early years:... Dover Samuels Dover Spencer Peneha Samuels was a Labour Member of Parliament in New Zealand from 1996 to 2008 inclusive.He first entered Parliament as a list MP in the 1996 elections, and was the MP for Te Tai Tokerau since the 1999 elections... Pita Sharples Pita Russell Sharples, CBE, , a Māori academic and politician, currently co-leads the Māori Party. He currently is the member for Tamaki Makaurau in New Zealand's Parliament.-Early life:... Hori Kerei Taiaroa Hori Kerei Taiaroa was a Māori member of the New Zealand parliament and the Paramount Chief of the southern iwi of Ngai Tahu. The son of Ngai Tahu leader Te Matenga and Mawera Taiaroa, he was born at Otakau on the Otago Peninsula in the 1830s or early 1840s.He represented the Southern Maori... John Tamihere John Henry Tamihere is a New Zealand media personality and former politician. He served as a Cabinet minister in the governing Labour Party from August 2002 to 3 November 2004.-Early life:... Hone Tawhai Hone Mohi Tawhai was a 19th century Māori member of the New Zealand parliament.Hone Mohi Tawhai was born in the Hokianga in 1827 or 1828. He was about 12 years old when his father signed the Treaty of Waitangi in February 1840.... Georgina Te Heuheu Georgina Manunui te Heuheu QSO is a Māori descent of Tūhoe, Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa and Ngāti Awa. MP in the New Zealand National Party and a Cabinet Minister in the New Zealand Government.-Early life:... Eruera Tirikatene Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene, KCMG was a New Zealand Māori politician of the Ngai Tahu tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana Member of Parliament and was elected in a by-election for Southern Maori in June 1932 after the death of Tuiti... Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan Tini "Whetu" Marama Tirikatene-Sullivan, ONZ was a New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1967 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. At the time of her retirement, she was the second longest-serving MP in Parliament, being in her tenth term of office... Metiria Turei Metiria Leanne Agnes Stanton Turei is a New Zealand member of Parliament and the female co-leader of the Green Party. she is the Green Party spokesperson on Social Equity, Electoral Reform, Māori and Treaty Issues, Housing and Children.... Tariana Turia Tariana Turia is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result... Rana Waitai Rana Donald Waitai is a former politician. He was an MP from 1996 to 1999.-Early years:His father was Te Rangi Koroingo Te Oreore Waitai born and died in Lower Hutt... Koro Wetere Koro Tainui Wētere, CBE is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1969 to 1996, representing the Labour Party. He served as Minister of Māori Affairs in the Fourth Labour Government .-Member of Parliament:... Tu Wyllie Tutekawa Wyllie , generally called Tu Wyllie, is a former New Zealand politician and rugby union player, who represented his country.-Early years:... |
Terminology used in Māori politics
- ManaManaMana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
- prestige, honour, respect, dignity, integrity - Mana motuhake - self-government, autonomy
- Kotahitanga - unity, co-operation
- PākehāPakehaPākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
- people of European descent, non-Māori - Rangatiratanga - chieftainship, sovereignty
- Te Tiriti - the Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of WaitangiThe Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
- Tangata whenua - "people of the land"; indigenous people, Māori
- Tikanga MāoriTikanga MaoriThe Māori word tikanga has a wide range of meanings — culture, custom, ethic, etiquette, fashion, formality, lore, manner, meaning, mechanism, method, protocol, style....
- the Māori way - Waka Māori - a Māori political vehicle
- KaitiakiKaitiakiKaitiaki is a New Zealand term used for the Māori concept of guardianship, for the sky, the sea, and the land. A kaitiaki is a guardian, and the process and practices of protecting and looking after the environment are referred to as kaitiakitanga and include rāhui and tapuThe term kaitiaki is also...
- guardian, trustee