Māori defended our rangatiratanga under the last Government. Now, we must exercise it - Tāmati Coffey

Opinion

Opinion by

Tāmati Coffey

Rotorua Daily Post·

10 Nov, 2026 03:00 PM5 mins to read

Tāmati Coffey is a former broadcaster and Labour MP who represented Waiariki from 2017 to 2020 and served in Parliament until 2023. He is no longer a member of any political party.

Tāmati Coffee: "Get involved in exercising your own rangatiratanga. Because Governments come and go. Our whakapapa doesn’t". Photo / Jason Oxenham

I was at an AGM in Ōhinemutu over the weekend when an exchange made me wince.

One person asked why more wasn’t being done for our people. Another responded that it wasn’t the organisation’s job to look after everybody.

That was the Government’s responsibility.

Both had a point.

Māori