Te Tai Hauāuru: A close race tinged with sadness

Stretching from Porirua to Putāruru and from Ōpunake to Ohakune, Te Tai Hauāuru covers the rohe of a diverse number of iwi as well as the home of the influential Rātana movement.

Why is it interesting?

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer won the seat in a landslide in 2023, but this time she will likely face a much closer challenge from Labour as well as the only National candidate running in a Māori electorate.

The campaign for the seat has been an emotional one, beginning with the death of former Labour MP and Speaker of the House Adrian Rurawhe.

Rurawhe was widely respected across the political spectrum, representatives from all six parties in Parliament attended his tangihanga at Whangaehu Marae

He held the seat from 2014 to 2023, opting to stand as a list-only candidate for the 2023 election as previous speakers of the House had. Rurawhe retired from Parliament on Waitangi Day 2026.

And only on Wednesday Ngarewa-Packer confirmed the passing of her mother, Colleen Ngarewa, in a social media post.

"While we are heartbroken, we would like to share that she passed surrounded by whānau & friends at her whānau home in Patea," the post said.

What happened at the last election?

In 2023, Ngarewa-Packer won the seat with 16,288 votes, ahead of Labour's Soraya Peke-Mason on 7126 votes.

Labour led the party vote with 41 percent, to Te Pāti Māori's 35 percent.

Over the last two decades the electorate has swapped back and forth between Labour and Te Pāti Māori. The late Dame Tariana Turia held the seat from 2002, first for Labour and then from 2004 as co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, until her retirement.

It was then held for three terms from 2014 by Adrian Rurawhe before Ngarewa-Packer brought it back to Te Pāti Māori in 2023.

Who is standing?

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has now been in Parliament for two terms, first as a list and then electorate MP. And before that she had a high profile in the region as the chief executive of South Taranaki iwi Ngāti Ruanui.

Ngarewa-Packer pulled back on campaigning for the election last month while her mother was unwell.

Contesting the seat for Labour is Fulbright scholar and business leader Te Pūoho Katene (Ngāti Toa Rangātira, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Tama).

Katene told RNZ it has been difficult for Māori to drive towards tino rangatiratanga when the government is "actively and cynically punching holes in your waka."

"What we've seen in the last three years is a government who has thrown out their considerations for people, thrown out their considerations for taiao, in order to favourite corporates."

Katene said he is an advocate for leveraging the strength of the Māori economy to create the jobs that have been lost due to the economic downturn.

"We can't sit there and wait for another big employer to come with another 200 jobs. But what we can do is we can help foster 20 local companies that can hire 10 people each. And in doing that, we know that that money is never going to leave that community."

The National Party selected Rangitīkei District Councillor Coral Raukawa (Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Whanganui) as their candidate.

Raukawa is the only National candidate contesting a Māori electorate at this election. The party did not stand any candidates in the Māori seats for a twenty year period between the 2002 and 2023 elections.

Raukawa said she wouldn't describe the Māori seats as a poison chalice for National candidates, but rather an opportunity and responsibility for the party.

"Māori are not one single voting bloc. We've got Māori business owners, farmers, professionals, beneficiaries, kaumātua, our rangatahi and even our own whānau. So we have people with different political beliefs, just as every other community does. And I joined National because I believe my values and my aspirations for our people, for our whānau, can be represented."

Raukawa said she put her hand up because she can bring something different to the seat for National.

"I didn't leave my whakapapa at the door when I walked through the National door. And also understanding our marae, our iwi and especially our communities and I'm prepared to have conversations across the political lines."